Walsh girls soccer, Revere boys soccer have what it takes to do it all again in 2024
The Walsh Jesuit girls soccer program won its 11th state title over the weekend and Revere reached the state final for the seventh time and finished second.
If you think for a moment the teams aren’t already thinking about either defending a title or winning one you haven’t hung around either program much.
Yes, the Warriors (18-2-3) and Minutemen (20-1-2) will bask in their just deserts. Yes, each squad can do it all over again.
Walsh beat Olentangy Liberty 2-1 behind two goals from Hannah Pachan to add yet another star on an already crowded Warriors jersey.
That said, only Skylar Rooks, Adri lika and Lexi Pascarella exit as seniors.
“Hannah (Pachan) and Reagan (Pentz) are unbelievable,” Walsh coach Javier Iriart said. “We’re going to enjoy this for a while, but when we get back together we’ll look at that.”
Walsh Jesuit girls soccer brings back a slew of standouts
A look at that shows Audrey Amdsden, Ciara Santiago, Madison Humenik, Sam Eckelman, Lauren Ziemianski and Abby Witkiewicz all returning along with Pachan (33 goals, 11 assists) and Pentz (12, 9).
Ava DeBolt is in line to take over for Lika at keeper with Elle Munro, Emilia Pajkic, Sophia Bultuc, Avery Hutchinson, Gianna Lenahan, Addison Blair, Caroline Ptacek and Sydney Rhodes as the next in line to take over the throne.
It’s a future filled with tradition and one in which the jersey is always handed over in a better place.
“It’s just the drive every player has,” Pachan said. “We all have the same mindset. That’s to win and have fun. You should hear us at practice. We bicker because we want everyone to be better. That’s the environment I want to be around. I don’t think I could be anywhere else. I love being a Warrior.”
It’s that mindset that has the Warriors thinking about a dozen state titles.
Next year isn’t now for Walsh.
But it’s not far off.
“Walsh has always had a target on our back no matter what,” Pentz said. “Now, especially with a recent state championship it’ll be even more pressure. I think the pressure of Walsh is what makes us so good and competitive. We love to have that pressure. It’s a blessing to have a target on our back.”
Revere boys soccer's resume shows it can be back in 2024
Revere’s only loss came 2-0 to Tippecanoe in the state final. Only Zach Iler, Jeff Boyle, Andrew Caranna and Dylan Halm leave as senior starters.
“If this year was any example, we can lose players but we can always come back stronger than the year before,” junior AJ Catlett said. “I think you can expect what happened this year.”
Losing Division II Player of the Year Halm (33 goals, 10 assists), Boyle (11, 8) and Iler (3, 4) will hurt, but there’s more than enough in the tank with Catlett (11, 27), Gavin Boltz (8, 7) and Joe Brown (4, 4) among those returning.
Jake Nations (12 shutouts), Joab Bockstoce, Will Sharp and Jacob Thomas will be back as starters. Noah Li, Gabe Drushell, Nick Radion, Cayden Ross, Ravi Chirayath, Lincoln Clark, Brandon Chase, Jaxon Kaufman, Ryan Berenson, Sal Bonacuse and Carson Sample return as reserves.
“It’s starts new every year,” Brown said. “You have to fight for your spot. It starts in the summer, continues Aug. 1 when we start. Nothing is guaranteed.”
Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Revere boys soccer, Walsh girls return loaded teams in 2024
