JUST FOR KICKS

SENIOR NIGHT CELEBRATION FEATURED A FIRST-TIME CHALLENGE: STUDENT ATHLETES VERSUS FACULTY AND STAFF

By Athletic Director Stacey Stoutt

Each year, for every sport, we honor our seniors on the last home game of the regular season. It’s a longstanding tradition to acknowledge the contributions of senior teammates and their families publicly.

On Tuesday, October 18, our Eastside Catholic girls soccer team was scheduled to play Chief Sealth on Charlie Acosta Field. It was the last regular season game and the official Senior Night we had planned to honor our eight seniors. But it didn’t happen. With massive and persistent wildfires burning large swaths of Washington state, smoke blanketed the Plateau, resulting in unhealthy air quality and forcing the cancellation of all schoolrelated outdoor activities.

When it was evident that air quality was not improving enough to play the match in the next few days and with no chance to reschedule that last match of the official WIAA soccer season, the Athletic Department staff devised an alternative plan. We didn’t want our seniors to leave EC without honoring their contributions to the school and their sport.

I approached the seniors with an idea. I asked them what they thought about challenging our faculty and staff to a soccer match and holding our Senior Night Celebration that night. They loved it!

My staff had already checked with a few faculty and staff members to ensure the idea was feasible before we pitched the idea to the team. Happily, all the employees we initially talked to were eager to play, and within an hour of sending an email invitation to all school employees to gauge interest, we had more than 30 volunteers ready to play. I was amazed at their willingness to be part of this event and how excited everyone was!

The Faculty/Staff Senior Night Showdown was ready to roll … let the trash talk begin.

The lighthearted banter between the faculty/staff and players went on for the week leading up to the match, complete with an incredible hype video produced by senior Aiden Gregorios. Tshirts and shin guards were ordered for the Faculty/Staff team and President Gil Picciotto borrowed a pair of cleats from the football storage closet. The teams were ready.

On the night of the event, the wildfire smoke had dissipated and it was a clear, cold evening. EC Boosters were on hand with pizza, hot cocoa and donuts for all who attended. Many prayers were said for the avoidance of injuries. And the band showed up supporting their fearless leader, Director Mr. Boysen adding to the celebratory atmosphere.

We kicked off the night honoring our eight senior soccer players and their families with flowers and tears: Evie Aitken, Reaghan Coyne, Sammy Foote, Audrey Fossum, Catie Gray, Jenna Marti, Ellery Norton and Bella Serex.

Then the battle began!

The seniors dominated the pitch in the first half with many shots on goal, but English Teacher Paul “The Iron Curtain” Morrisroe stopped them all. A beautiful shot by Head Soccer Coach Mike Blackburn put the Faculty/Staff team up 1-0 in the first half. Jenna Marti put one in the net for the seniors in the second half and at the end of regulation, we were all tied up, 1-1.

The game would be decided by penalty kicks.

The Iron Curtain again stopped all senior shots and the Faculty/Staff team came out on top —winners of our first-ever Faculty/Staff Senior Night Showdown!

Senior Sammy Foote said, “I thought the Senior Night soccer game vs the Faculty/Staff team was awesome! It was really special to see how everyone came together to put this night on for us after our senior night got cancelled and we didn’t really know when we would get one. I hope this becomes an annual event! I can’t wait to come back after I graduate to watch the rematch!”

From Paul Morrisroe, aka the Iron Curtain, “It was an absolute blast playing the girls on their senior night. All the smack talk from the previous weeks made the game wicked exciting. These seniors left such a huge impact on the EC soccer program that it only makes sense they started a new senior night tradition. Hey juniors, see you for a rematch next year.”

We might have started a new tradition at Eastside Catholic. Roll Cru!