As students and parents lineup outside of the field to purchase their tickets to the Wilde Lake vs River Hill soccer playoff game, they are desperately awaiting a win. A lot is riding on this game as the Wildecats realize that they are not just playing to win, but also for the pride of their school. 

On October 29th, the boys and girls varsity soccer program defeated both of the River Hill soccer teams, dubbing them regional champs with a score of 2-1 for the boys and a score of 1-0 for the girls. 

As both teams celebrated their victories, they took great satisfaction in the fact that they’ve defeated their biggest rival on two separate occasions, the previous victory taking place in the regular season. 

           “We were definitely playing for pride every time we stepped on the field against [River Hill],” says Aicha Wilson, captain of the girls’ team. “They thought they were the better team, but so did we. Both teams really went in with a hunger to show which team would perform better and luckily we came out on top.” 

In regards to the redistricting controversy, which made the victories even more significant, the continuous success of the soccer program instilled school pride in many of its players. “Winning against River Hill meant a lot not just to the team, but the whole Wilde lake community,” says leading goal-scorer and player of the year, Ousman Touray. “There’s been a lot of talk that’s targeted us as a school and community, we showed that we work just as hard as anyone.”

River Hill Soccer captain, Jonah Stoutenborough, reflected on the game by saying, “I knew many kids on the team, I went to Wilde Lake Middle. So I knew how great some of the players were, you could tell they were a more experienced team.”

Both of the soccer teams’ seasons went out with a bang as the boys won the state championship against C. Milton Wright with a score of 1-0 and the girls were the runner ups against Northern with a score of 0-5. Despite the outcome, both teams took the time to appreciate the impact this season had on them. 

“The win against River Hill alone shut many people up. From that point forward, we knew we had to take that momentum and run with it,” says Junior Tyriq Umrani. “The hard work we put in all season was definitely noticeable and we can’t wait to keep it up next year.”