The Carlmont varsity boys soccer team was defeated in the Central Coast Section semifinals against the Menlo Knights in a well-fought game on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Before this action-filled game, the Scots won many games to end their regular season in second place. The Scots moved the ball around early in the game and had many chances to score but couldn’t get a good shot on frame.
The Scots had most of the possession in the first half, but in the last minutes of the half, the Knights scored from a cross into the box, smashed in the back of the net to give the Knights the lead.
At the start of the second half, the Scots came into the field with high heads and stable mentalities. A couple of minutes into the second half, the Scots had a corner kick. The ball came in the 16-yard box at a perfect angle, but senior striker Donovan Dooley gave an awkward header, and the ball just missed the crossbar.
Near the end of the second half, a player from the Knights was severely injured. This injury took the game to a full pause, as paramedics and emergency responders were taking care of the injured player.
This injury stalled the game for a reasonable amount of time. It gave both teams time to gather thoughts and rest. After the pause, the Scots put everything they had into this game, as a loss would mean the last game for the seniors on the Carlmont team.
Once the game ended, players fell to their knees, looking back on what they could have done better in the game. Both teams showed great sportsmanship, and the Scots picked their heads up and congratulated themselves for the fantastic season they had this year.
“This season has had its ups and downs, but after everything that has happened this year, I’m glad I was on this team,” Dooley said.
The Scots had a great time playing on the team, whether it was goofing around in the locker rooms or on the field doing a fun drill. They were glad to be a part of the team and bonded like a family.
“This team showed no hesitation to make me a part of their family this season, they showed nothing but love to me,” said Shawyaan Hajebi Tabrizi, a senior for the Scots.
