TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Last season ended in heartbreak for the Chiles High School boys soccer team. As one of the top ranked teams in Class 6A in the state of Florida, they were 18-1 before falling to Ponte Vedra in the regional semifinals.
It's a loss this team certainly hasn't forgotten, and heading into the second half of this season, the Timberwolves are drawing from it for motivation. They're 6-1 on the year, still one of the best teams in the state, and getting ready for a tough stretch as a welcome back gift from Christmas Break.
For the Timberwolves, it's just about playing like they have been. They do that, and they'll be ready to go once the postseason rolls around.
"I think what it'll show us, and hopefully will show us, is that we have a bit of depth about us, and a bit of character about ourselves that when it is tough, can we build from that," said head coach Bryan McDonald. "A lot of these guys have been around the program for a while, so they know the expectations and standards that we try to set and they're trying to carry on from where we've left off in the past, and now it's their time to be the leaders on the field and I think they've done a good job so far."
Chiles travels east to face Fleming Island, one of the the top teams in 6A on Friday, and then turns around to face Mandarin, one of the top teams in 7A on Saturday.
