This year more than ever, Xavier soccer is an older and wiser team, with 15 seniors on the roster. Throughout the season, the team has been through many ups and downs. Although they have an outstanding record going into the state tournament starting this week, it has not always been easy. The team has suffered multiple injuries, including a disabling hip injury to one of our star center backs, Reno Salafia, only 4 games into the regular season. Despite these setbacks, the team has never stopped playing hard and has persevered with a passion to succeed.

I had an opportunity to speak with the starting striker, sophomore Rays Kisaku, who gave me a few words about what goes on inside the huddle. He told me, “In the huddle, we do a lot of praying as a team, we set our goals for the game such as leave everything we got on the field, and we talk about ways we can do our best.” When you listen to the words of Rays and other team members, you can clearly see how all the setbacks this team has faced have not affected their confidence one bit.

I also had the chance to talk with one of the senior captains, Parker Berndt, about what this team means to him. Parker said, “This team means everything to me. The number of things we have been through to get where we are is unimaginable. When we step off that field, we want to be able to say that we gave it everything we got. This group is so tight that we are not shaken by anything because we know how to stick together and get things done.” This goes to show how the captains and their fellow players’ intense spirit has helped them achieve an impressive overall record of 14–2–2. It is not only evident in their words but also in their actions. You may have seen them cheering on the football team in the student section dressed in the theme of the night or lending a hand at pep rallies and Xavier events.

Although we are coming off a hard loss to Fairfield Prep in the SCC semi-finals on Saturday night, we are heading into the state tournament. Everyone is optimistic about bringing home a Class LL State Title. Head coach, Mr. Brian Fitzgerald, is clearly focused on a positive mindset in his comments about the closing of the 2025 Xavier season. Coach Fitz says, “We are looking to make a deep run in the state tournament. We are going to use the loss in the SCC semifinal as a learning experience as well as motivation for the rest of the postseason.”  

Let’s hope that wisdom, spirit, and prayer help our boys bring the trophy home to Randolph Road for the first time since 1995.