Boys JV soccer loses 0-1 in a tough match against Fremd High School on Sept. 14, 2024.
The Huntley boys came into this game very hopeful. Even though the crowd was not huge that day, they came onto the field with a lot of energy and excitement.
“I think we’re going to come up on top because we’re the better team and this is tough competition, so we need to work hard,” captain Nick Duffy said.
The game began with both teams playing offense and defense, the score 0-0 with Huntley having the most possessions. In this game, communication was key. Players from both teams, on the field and bench, were constantly communicating and cheering each other on.
Halfway through the first half, Huntley finally broke through Fremd’s defense and scored. The HHS boys were overjoyed that their hard work paid off. Unfortunately, the referee called an offside violation, meaning the point they scored did not count. This kept the score 0-0 until the end of the first half.
The second half starts with both teams reenergized and ready to continue going head-to-head for victory.
During the second half, the boys soccer coach, Hunter Labas, put so much energy into rooting for his boys, that he got light-headed and lay down on the sidelines. The game was paused while everyone worried for the coach’s well-being.
“Sometimes I yell so loud, I get a little light-headed and I think with the heat, it just kinda caught me all at once,” Coach Labas said. After getting back up, everyone clapped for him before resuming the game.
With about 20 minutes remaining, Fremd attempts to score against Huntley’s goalkeeper, Christian Cuellar. Cuellar dives and blocks the attempt, but Fremd’s players pressure and score while Cuellar is getting back up from the save, making the score 0-1.
“I did my part, I made the save, but nobody was marked,” Cuellar said. “I definitely thought I could’ve got up faster and prevented the goal.”
With little time left to score, the boys had hope and continued to fight hard against the Fremd players. In the end, both teams put up an excellent fight on the field.
“We’re going to come back with a mentality that ‘we got to beat them again’ ‘cause that was our game,” Cuellar said. “I believe one hundred percent, we should have won that.”
Even though the boys lost this game, they never gave up hope and played strong the whole way through. The JV team is still hungry and is eager to potentially play Fremd again next season.
