2023 Southfield Christian Boys Middle School Soccer Season Summary

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GAME 1 VS PARKWAY CHRISTIAN

The Eagles got off to a great start on the new season Thursday afternoon away at rainy Parkway Christian. Seven players got their first appearance ever for SCS on the pitch, and even with only one sub, the team gelled quickly and well.

Corey Maxwell scored first, putting the ball in the net to get the Eagles rolling. Jackson Veldman followed that up quickly with one of his own. Then Nate Ehlen found the net with back-to-back strikes, the second on a powerful shot from a substantial way out, to put the Eagles up 4-0.

GAME 2 VS NOVI CHRISTIAN

On Friday, the Eagles welcomed Novi Christian to their home field. SCS had gone 2-2-1 against the visiting Warriors over the past few seasons, but the guests brought their best squad in recent years and they got off to a quick start, going up 5-0 near the end of the first half.

A late offensive push by the home squad resulted in Corey Maxwell netting his second goal of the young season to shrink the halftime margin.

The second half saw the Warriors extend their lead several more times for a final 8-1 margin. The Eagles played the entire match without a single sub, and the final score was not indicative of their effort and how they played overall. In many instances, only a hard, long shot from Novi Christian could find its way past Nathan Paul in goal, who made many impressive saves again and again to extend the game to full time.

Jayce Garrett was among several players who pushed themselves close to exhaustion with effort, and Jayce had to be helped off the field late in the game due to cramping but was thankfully able to return to the contest.

The Eagles travel to Plymouth Christian on Tuesday, a perennially-tough opponent whom the Eagles have not beaten since 2019 when they swept both of the two meetings. They look to make progress and continue to improve in several areas as the season proceeds.

Current record: 1-1

GAME 3 VS PLYMOUTH CHRISTIAN

On Tuesday afternoon, the Eagles hit the road for a tough match against Plymouth Christian. Nate Ehlen was unable to go for SCS due to injury so the squad was once again forced to compete with no subs.

The team had trouble putting together any consistent threats on offense in the first half, and though Nathan Paul made the opposing team work hard for their opportunities, SCS found themselves down 5-0 at the break.

One highlight from the first half was Jackson Veldman ringing a hard shot off the crossbar, as well as putting a well-placed direct kick just wide of its intended target.

The bigger and more experienced opponents finally wore down the Eagles in the second half, as they subbed in fresh players and controlled the ball in their offensive zone for much of the time. Though Caleb Foote managed to go on several impressive runs and nearly broke through several times, success continued to elude the squad, and the final score was 8-0.

Oakland Christian visits Southfield Christian on Thursday as the Eagles continue to grow and gain experience playing a rigorous schedule. 

Current record: 1-2

GAME 4 VS OAKLAND CHRISTIAN

On Thursday afternoon, the SCS team took the field short-handed against perennial tough matchup Oakland Christian. Football team members Liam Balligian and Levi Bowman filled in for the missing Eagles and made big impacts.

The game was tight throughout, with each team exchanging opportunities and good chances. A late defensive miscommunication led to the only goal in the first frame, a shot by the visiting Lancers that made it a 1-0 halftime deficit.

Michael Etters filled in terrifically in goal, making numerous tough saves and standing firm under pressure in his first career start as keeper. He kept it close in the second half, as did Jayce Garrett who hustled all game as usual, streaking across the line in the nick of time to kick a sure goal away from the open net.

Jackson Veldman, Liam Balligian and Caleb Foote all had promising chances for quality shots but no Eagle could find the back of the net in the second half as the Eagles ran out of gas. Dallas James showed bright signs of promise with his hustle and fearlessness on defense.

The 1-0 score was the final margin, and the SCS squad all eagerly look forward to a rematch with Oakland later in the season. The team falls to 1-3 and will seek to return to the win column with a visit from Parkway next Thursday.

Current record: 1-3

GAME 5 VS PARKWAY CHRISTIAN

On a warm and sunny Thursday afternoon, Parkway Christian visited SCS for a rematch after being thoroughly dominated in their first meeting weeks prior. They came much more prepared and gave the home team all they could handle.

The first half provided glimpses of what SCS had been able to do in the first match, and after about 5 minutes Chase Holmes successfully deposited the ball in the net for his first SCS career goal. Corey Maxwell broke through with some great hustle and individual play to make the margin 2-0. Soon after Jackson Veldman sent a terrific cross to Caleb Foote, who made the most of his chance to extend the lead to 3-0.

In the second frame, the visitors played well and put together numerous scoring chances. They finally found success and tightened the margin to 3-1. Late in the half, the Eagles conceded a penalty, but the opponents clanged it off the crossbar, narrowly missing reducing the deficit to one. Minutes before the final whistle, Caleb Foote returned the earlier favor and connected with Jackson Veldman, who scored the final goal for a 4-1 result.

Several younger SCS players showed improvement and strong effort, including Dallas James, Kevin Casillas and Bryson Baggs.

The Eagles move to 2-3 and look forward to a trip to Roeper next Tuesday. They hope to continue their winning ways and build on what they've been working on in practice.

Current record: 2-3

GAME 6 VS ROEPER

On Tuesday afternoon, the team traveled to meet Roeper at their home field. After sweeping Roeper in both games last season, the Eagles felt confident about their chances going in.

The Roughriders were clearly improved, however, and dominated possession in the first half. However, the defense made it difficult for them to capitalize for a long stretch, and eventually, Jackson Veldman broke through their ranks to open up the scoring 1-0 with a solid shot.

The second 15 minutes of the opening half featured numerous opportunities and well-placed balls for the speedy home squad, though, and they reeled off five unanswered goals to make it 5-1 at the break.

The second half was a much more even match, with the Eagles conceding two additional strikes, one off a closely placed direct kick. Roy Haynes found his way forward with some good dribbling and left it off for Jackson to finish with his second goal of the match. That ended the scoring for a 7-2 final, in favor of the Roughriders.

The team played well overall and incorporated things they've been learning in practice. With only one substitute available, everyone played most of the game and each had a positive impact on the match. Caleb Foote played very well, showing hustle all match while not coming out of the game. He touched the ball often and created good opportunities for the team.

Michael Etters showed promise with numerous strong clearances, and broke up many plays for Roeper. The team falls to 2-4 and next takes the field at home on Thursday afternoon against Plymouth Christian.

Current record: 2-4

GAME 7 VS PLYMOUTH CHRISTIAN

On Thursday afternoon, Plymouth Chrisitan returned to SCS for the second match between the two clubs of the season. They came out in good form and quickly broke out to a 5-0 lead by halftime.

Chase Holmes and Caleb Foote provided some of the few highlights with some good passes, hustle, and creativity. Jackson Veldman came out of the back for a good push forward just before halftime, but his shot couldn't get past the opposing squad's keeper.

Though the team played hard and showed moments of quality play, the experience and depth of the visitors were simply too much, and the final score was 8-0.

Next up for the Eagles is a rematch with Roeper on Monday, once again on home turf.

Current record: 2-5

GAME 8 VS ROEPER

On a hot and sunny Monday afternoon, Roeper visited the Eagles' home field, less than a week after their initial meeting of the season. After losing 7-2 to the Roughriders, SCS was hoping to see improvements in every area of the game and play a more competitive match.

For several stretches of the game, the team did just that. They were able to possess the ball for longer and string together more sustained threats on offense. After falling behind 4-0, Caleb Foote was able to spring free and make a dangerous run toward the net. He was brought down from behind by a defender, drawing the penalty.

Jackson Veldman took it, and after the goalie made an initial save, he was able to finish well and cut the lead to 4-1 at the break.

The defense worked hard but had trouble consistently clearing the ball and keeping it out of the dangerous middle, and the visiting Roeper squad scored twice more after halftime. Down 6-1, Jackson Veldman was able to break away and score his second goal of the match.

Two more late goals by the visitors made the final score 8-2. Though not the result on the scoreboard the Eagles wanted, the team put in a strong effort amid hot and tiring conditions.

They look forward to a rematch away against Oakland Christian on Thursday, a team they fought hard with and competed well against in their first meeting earlier in the year.

Current record: 2-6

GAME 9 VS OAKLAND CHRISTIAN

As the cold rain pounded down on the field, the Eagles took to the pitch for a rematch against Oakland Christian at their place on Thursday afternoon. After losing only 1-0 in the previous matchup, the Eagles hoped to turn the tables on their opponents from OCS.

With no subs available, every SCS player stayed on the field for the entire contest, and everyone played very well. Both teams had numerous quality scoring chances in the first half, but as the horn sounded for halftime, players from both teams, completely soaked to the bone, walked off in a scoreless tie.

The second half featured more of the same, but the scoring chances became greater and even more dangerous with each passing minute.Nathan Paul made seemingly endless saves, with a couple of shots staying only inches over the line.

Caleb Foote, Roy Haynes, and Jackson Veldman all had shots either go just wide or denied by the Lancers keeper. Nate Ehlen anchored the back with confidence and also had several well-struck direct kick chances go wide or high.

As the final whistle sounded, the teams congratulated each other on a hard-fought draw. The final score of 0-0 was a good reflection of how close this game really was. Every player's skills showed signs of improvement, and the Eagles look forward to a match at Novi Christian next Monday as their final week of play kicks off.

Current record: 2-6-1

 

GAME 10 VS NOVI CHRISTIAN

On a cold and windy Monday, the Eagles traveled to Novi Christian for a rematch against a team that had defeated them earlier in the season.

SCS fell behind 2-0 in the first ten minutes, only to claw their way back even with two goals from Jackson Veldman. Jackson now has nine goals for the year, putting him behind only Trey Ehlen, Brock Bushey, and Wyatt Rupenthall for the most goals in a single season under Coach Bowman since 2018. At the break, the teams were locked in a 2-2 tie.

The second half saw the squad break down defensively at times, and the Eagles were unable to maintain possession as they had in the first half or create many chances. Caleb Foote had a great opportunity saved by the opposing goalie, and Jackson rang his attempt at a hat trick off the post, but no SCS player could find the net in the second half as the deficit continued to grow.

The team eventually conceded the game at an 8-2 final score. The club has two big games left to finish up the 2023 season, the first of which is the only matchup against rival Inter-city at home on Thursday afternoon. They hope to build on a 1-1 split last season against the Chargers before heading south to face new opponent Hope Christian Academy on Friday.

Current record: 2-7-1

GAME 11 VS INTER-CITY BAPTIST

On Thursday afternoon, the Eagles hosted rival Inter-City and gave the Chargers an even, well-fought battle. Halfway through the first, the opponents were able to break through on an unexpectedly-long throw-in, and their speedy striker buried the opportunity, for the only score of the half.

Jackson Veldman was barely offsides on a great Liam Balligian through pass, ending the Eagle's best scoring chance of the first frame.

The defense continued to play well, giving up three goals more throughout the second half on powerful shots and an unlucky breakaway. They stood strong against numerous barrages of Charger shots and cleared the ball well for most of the game. 

The offense was able to get the ball deep in Inter-City territory and perilously close to the goal line several times in the second half, but could not get it in the net. The final 4-0 margin did not reflect how close this match was for most of the way.

The Eagles head south to Hope Christian Academy for their first meeting of the season against the Hawks to wrap up the 2023 campaign. They are excited to continue to implement the strategies and techniques they've been working on all year.

Current record: 2-8-1

GAME 12 VS HOPE CHRISTIAN

On Friday, the Eagles traveled to face a brand new opponent, the recently-opened Hope Christian Academy in Westland. SCS came out and played a well-rounded, unselfish complete game to close out the season.

In the first half, after dominating time of possession, Jackson Veldman struck first on a great assist from Liam Balligian. Later in the half, Teefy Mulcahy put the Eagles up 2-0 on a strong kick from the left side. Caleb Foote finished off the scoring by tucking the ball pasting the Hawks' keeper for a 3-0 halftime margin.

In the second half, the team got the opportunity to shuffle from their normal positions, and Michael Etters replaced Nathan Paul in goal. During a rare occasion at midfield, Jayce Garrett pounded a long shot from far out into the net for a 4-0 score. Liam Balligian slotted the ball home next, and Matthew Abazi moved forward for a fine goal of his own to widen the margin to 6-0.

Nathan Paul put the Eagles up by seven a few minutes later, as the team celebrated him taking advantage of an unusual chance to play forward. Nate Ehlen finished off the scoring for the victorious side late in the second half.

With the 8-0 win, Southfield Christian finishes the season on a high note. Every player performed well and got significant experience on the field, and the club thanked its departing 8th graders while looking forward to the return of many players next season.

Final 2023 season record: 3-8-1

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