The Clearwater Secondary School boys’ soccer season was shortened this year due to the teachers’ strike.
The team had its first game in league play against St. Annes. This was also the first time the team had played together and Clearwater lost against a more skilled and practiced St. Annes.
The next two league games were played against Ashcroft and Kamloops Christian School during the `Super Saturday’ tournament at McArthur Island Park in Kamloops.
The game against Ashcroft was hard fought, but won by Clearwater 1-0 after a goal by Levi Walker. The second game of the day, against Kamloops Christian School, was also won by the Raiders 1-0 on a tricky rebound goal from Keenan Bromley. Raiders goalkeeper Nate Wadlegger was outstanding in both games.
The last regular game of the season was played on home turf against Barriere on Thursday, Oct. 6.
Levi Walker scored Clearwater’s first goal on a penalty kick. The second goal was made on a great run by Boden Eakins.
However, injuries and the flu bug had depleted Clearwater’s roster, and despite the Clearwater team’s presence in Barriere’s half for the majority of the game, Clearwater had a hard time getting past Barriere’s excellent goalie. The team went down 2-4.
The standings will have to be calculated to determine the fate of Clearwater’s soccer season and whether the Raiders will go on to Okanagans.
The Clearwater team deserves credit for incredible effort every game, made even more necessary by the fact that its small numbers were playing against teams that could call on a full roster of substitutes.
The team played with heart, and kept the same level of intense effort up throughout every one of their games.
