With a record of 16-5-1 (as of press time Nov. 4) to end the regular season, the Varsity boys soccer team has had an impressive year. They have secured their coach, Vince Nowak, his 400th career win, were awarded the first seed in Districts, and won the GAC South conference.

“It felt really good to win since we haven’t won conference in five years,” junior Zach Johnson said.

One of the biggest factors for the teams success has been the chemistry between the players. Starting during summer workouts, the players were able to unite, work together, and build special bonds between each other that led to an improved record this year.

“Everyone is pretty cool and we like each other,” Johnson said.

The team was able to defeat many of their biggest rivals during their regular season, including Fort Zumwalt South, Fort Zumwalt West, and Howell Central.

Perhaps the most memorable game for Nowak and the team, though, was the game on Oct. 12 against Timberland. The Knights were able to win the game 2-1 in overtime, securing Nowak his 400th victory.

“It was great,” Nowak said. “It showed two things. One, it shows that we’ve had a lot of really good players who have won a lot of games, and that I’ve been coaching for a long time. Two, [that] I’ve been lucky enough to have coached for a long time.”

Many factors lead to the team’s success including the team’s chemistry and the contribution players have made in every game. The greatest example of enahnced performance is the improvement from last year’s record of 14-13.

“We have a number of players that are doing a nice job,” Nowak said. “I’m not going to single anyone out. All 21 players have contributed.”