With a 14-6-1 record, the Huntley High School varsity soccer team, with many doubters and naysayers, fought their way back to regionals almost mirroring their success from last year. A major difference between the ‘15 and ‘16 team is this that years’ squad holds the title of PepsiCo Showdown Champions.

Senior players Aaron Ruffner and Zach Whitaker gave insight to their season and are very content with how things happened.

“To go from seeing [our teammates] six out of the seven days a week, we’re just like a family, we’re really close and then to stop seeing them-,” Ruffner began, with Whitaker interjecting “Yeah everyday is going to be real[lly] weird.”

The guys are definitely proud of themselves and their team, and their facial expressions show their happiness with the success of the team.

“A lot of people continuously said that we weren’t going to be good,” Whitaker said.  “We only had one or two starters returning because we lost about fourteen seniors last year. Having the same record and going just as far in the postseason and winning Pepsi on top of that.” 

This year and last year, the soccer team made it to regionals and were defeated for the second year in a row by Rockford Guilford.

“I feel both years we definitely were the better team, there were a couple slip-ups both times that changed the momentum of the game,” Whitaker said.  “Throughout the season, Aaron had eighteen goals, which is probably the most we’ve had in like the last three years.”

 Through the trials and triumphs the team continued to be a family, and the seniors were not devastated by their regional championship loss but instead proud of the many memories they made while playing together.