Last Thursday, the boys varsity soccer team played the second leg of their district matchup with Valley. The first game, played at Academy, had been a convincing but not overwhelming 4-0 victory. The Academy had played better recently and were looking to continue their hot streak as the regular season wraps up and state play looms.
This reporter was not present and can only pass on secondhand accounts, but it is clear the game started quickly as Luke Babinski ’24 scored in the first 47 seconds. The rest of the half was dominated by forwards Babinski and Grady Gilchrist ’25 who split four more goals between them in the first half, frequently assisting each other. 5-0 at halftime.
In the second half, the rest of the team got in on the action as Ben Morgan ’25 hit a blast from the right side that went into side netting, and Gian Hwang ’26—yes, the defender—dribbled into the box and was fouled. He earned the penalty kick, taking it and finishing low on the left-hand side. The game ended 7-0.
The Academy now has a 12-4 record and is ranked #8 in the state and #1 in division 4A district 6 by MaxPreps.