After months of games, scrimmages and practices after school, the varsity soccer season came to a close, and the team came together to celebrate their two seniors and co-captains: Cate Childers and Sabrina Walker.
Varsity soccer senior night took place Jan. 31 at 5:30 p.m. at Santa Monica College, where the team played against Oakwood. Archer defeated Oakwood 2-1, which secured them an undefeated season in league and their title as Liberty League Champions.
“It was a really fun game. It was tight, and we ended up the winning it. It was our last league game, which was really cool,” Childers said. “Our team’s improved a lot over the season, so seeing the growth and getting closer as a team has been really great.”
After the game, the non-senior members of the team gave the two seniors leis and personalized speeches to thank and celebrate them for their efforts and contributions to Archer’s soccer program. Walker said her role as co-captain this year was to foster and maintain a positive team culture.
“I generally hope that I was able to keep the whimsy. You’re there to win, but at the same time, it’s also about getting to spend time with your teammates and getting to know people you don’t know yet,” Walker said. “So I think that’s the impact I’ve been able to leave, and I hope everyone has great memories from this season and can carry that on.”
Childers started playing soccer at 4 years old and has played on her club soccer team, the LA Breakers, since she was in fifth grade. This is her second year being a captain of Archer’s varsity team, and she said Archer’s soccer program has taught her a lot of responsibility.
“I’ve learned how to step up, be a leader and take responsibility for my own actions and for how the team does because, ultimately, when we don’t succeed, part of it is on me, and part of it is on the other captain,” Childers said. “So it’s taught me a lot of accountability and just learning how to lead by example.”
Sophomore Dakota Tooley joined the varsity soccer team her freshman year and said she was able to get to know players in different grades better this year. She described the seniors not only as talented players, but also as engaged and skilled leaders who brought the team together.
“They always take initiative whenever the team needs it, and they’re really friendly and just super fun to be around,” Tooley said. “They make the team better together and just really cohesive.”
Throughout the season, the team played nine league games and won all of them, competing against teams such as Milken Community School and The Buckley School. They also scrimmaged against Crossroads, Brentwood and Viewpoint and beat Viewpoint 2-1. Childers said the team approached each game with a strong attitude and a focus on learning new things.
“We have a very positive attitude. We go in trying to have fun, but I would say we always have a game plan,” Childers said. “We try to focus and lock in, and in our warmup, we try to get concentrated, ready to execute the game plan.”
The team played Costa Mesa High School in the first round of CIF playoffs Feb. 8 and lost 2-0, which concluded this year’s soccer season. Walker reflected on the impact Archer soccer has had on her.
“The impact would overall just be being able to restore my positive mindset. Going from club to school soccer is a transition — it’s very different. The players are different. The style is different. But it’s a great place to be able to decompress after a long season, and it’s a really great place to be,” Walker said. “The Archer soccer community is something I could not imagine my high school experience without.”
