The New Era
Rawlins Lupoli was named team Most Valuable Player during the high school boys soccer team’s awards banquet Nov. 8.
The senior was also named Sky-Em player of the year. Those honors came in a year in which the Huskies finished fifth in league with few wins.
“We had probably the best four-year stint in Sweet Home soccer history,” said Coach Eric Stutzer, who with Assistant Coach Huck Thomas, presented the awards and recapped the season.
Part of that is thanks to Lupoli – as well as his twin brother, goalkeeper Rowland Lupoli, Stutzer said.
All season long, Sweet Home fought injuries and a shallow bench. Thomas called his junior varsity team “Varsity Two” because he had so many players moving up to an injury-plagued and short-handed varsity and back. He estimated three-quarters to four-fifths of his team played varsity games this season.
“It’s not very often you have a season with as many injuries as this year,” Stutzer said, noting that the ambulance visited the pitch twice, and two players, junior Evan Davis and senior Noah Webb, sacrificed teeth to the game. He recognized both with a certificate for their sacrifice – and handed out another special award to senior Eric Blanchard for the “Ultimate Dance Off” for some of his work during breaks in the game.
“I am so absolutely proud of these athletes that played with me,” Thomas said, adding that playing is hard with no subs when the other player has a full bench. “You don’t have the luxury of injuries.”
He commended his team’s heart and energy.
Even in those conditions, 2-5 with three tie games, the varsity was one game from a playoff spot, said Stutzer said. “I just want to say how proud I am of the JV this season. They were under fire.”
They had a lot of inexperience – across both teams, with several seniors out as first-year soccer players, he said. “It would’ve been easy to quit.”
The successes they had are a “testament to their athleticism,” he said.
The team did well off the field too, finishing eighth academically statewide in the 4A division, tying North Bend with a 3.34 combined GPA, Stutzer said.
Among team awards, Davis received the Extra Mile Award.
“I’ve never heard a complaint out of this guy,” Stutzer said. “He was always willing to do what it took.”
When a teammate showed up for a game but had forgotten his jersey, Davis gave his up for the teammate, the coach recounted in describing the kind of person Davis is, even though, he said, the player probably should have sat out the game – something that would have cost him his varsity letter.
Sophomore Jarrett Owen was named Most Improved, Stutzer said. “Jarrett comes out. He’s sleeker. He’s stronger. And goes out and scores a goal the first game of the season.”
Mr. Husky went to Blanchard and Rowland Lupoli, who both exemplified what it means to be a Husky, Stutzer said.
Webb won the Coach’s Award for his persistence.
Taken off the pitch by ambulance twice this season, “he had every reason not to come to practice,” Stutzer said. “He would be in so much pain.”
Instead, Webb regularly kept busy, picking up the locker room and field, for example, Stutzer said, adding that Webb exemplified the meaning of integrity.
Regarding the MVP, Rawlins Lupoli, “it really makes a difference when he’s on the field,” Stutzer said. “He’s probably the most valuable player I’ve ever coached.”
Picking award winners was difficult for JV, Thomas said. Every member of the team played positions around the pitch because the team was always in flux, but he named four.
Junior Zerin Owen was the Top Scorer after getting a hat trick in the first game of the season.
Freshman Jaxsen Brown was Super Keeper averaging 19 saves per game, with some games at more than 30.
Joey Sell was the Most Versatile having played every position during the season.
Mason Hook and Jayce Owen were Most Improved.
First-year letters went to seniors Eric Blanchard, Zak Fox, Luke Shiffert, Joey Sell and Carkis Galvez; juniors Zec Brown, Evan Davis, Stewart Curtis and Zerin Owen; sophomores Jarrett Owen, Andrew Baham and Grayson Johnston; and freshmen Owen Towry and Jaxsen Brown.
Earning their second letters in soccer were sophomores Austin Parrish and Noah Dinsfriend, junior Levi Hernandez and senior Noah Webb.
Rawlins Lupoli and Rowland Lupoli took home their fourth letters.