Seahawks set to soar after 4-2 scrimmage win over Easton

The Sussex Academy boys’ soccer team wrapped up its preseason with a 4-2 win over Easton Sept. 2, their third win in a row against a Maryland school.

“Easton's a good side; they're well coached and and I enjoy what we see against these Bayside schools that we don't see all the time,” said coach R.J. Dina. “From the first scrimmage against Conrad to now, we've grown a lot, we've matured a little bit, we're more comfortable with each other and we're inching our way there.”

The players feel good about where they are at the earliest stage of the regular season.

“Now that the preseason's wrapped, I think we're doing great,” senior Liam Stegall said. “This year, our team's meshing really well with the new players that have stepped up for our seniors who have left.”

Fellow senior Chase Ballinger opened the scoring Sept. 2, taking a pass from Bodhi Williams and burying it into the back of the net with six minutes left in the first half. The Seahawks possessed the ball for the majority of the first half, but had to deal with Easton’s size before they could break through. However, the experienced Sussex Academy upperclassmen are familiar with the opposition trying to bully them off the ball.

“We know we're little guys, but we have some size with Carson Klahr and Chase,” Stegall said. “Even our little guys, like me and Bodhi, we know how to shield the ball properly.”

First-half possession time paid dividends early in the second half when senior George Sapna blew past the Warriors’ backline and deep into the 18 before knocking the ball from the end line to the six, where his classmate Noah Benz was waiting to double the Seahawks’ lead, 2-0. Six minutes later, in the 50th minute, Sapna gave Jose Figueroa-Morales a quality return on his investment, as the former took a pass from the latter and placed it precisely in the far corner of the goal for a 3-0 lead.

“Over the years, you've seen some of the core guys that are now seniors mature and how they handle the physical side of high school soccer,” Dina said. “It was nice to see that maturity today.”

Senior Ruendi Ortiz-Santos’ beautiful strike from distance with 27 minutes left in the game rounded out the scoring for the Seahawks and came when a few of the starters had departed.

Dina kept the young guys in with a few seniors to see the game out, and although Easton slipped two goals past them to close the game, it gave playing time to guys who will be asked to play some important minutes as the season goes on. 

While a clean sheet is the preference for the Seahawks, guys who know what it takes to win are happy with where the defense is.

“They've stepped up the last few days, and we've done a lot of practice with them, and I think they're ready to start the season,” Stegall said.

Sussex Academy will open its season at home against Salesianum at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 6.

“The atmosphere is going to be different; under the lights, you play a little bit differently,” Dina said. “We'll hope they can hold that same level of maturity and continue to impress like they did today in some aspects.”