By Grace Newman

“We like to keep the crowd excited,” says boys varsity soccer captain and goalie Oliver Ricken. With 4 games into overtime and many games won by only 1 goal, the Tempe Prep Knights know how to put on a show.

Although the team has been playing a lot of the better schools in the division, their perseverance and dedication have helped them make their way to the top. With 6 wins and 4 losses, the Knights are content with the record but “we know we can be better,” describes senior captain Alex Wait. If they stay focused, their determination will surely help reflect the team’s amazing ability in their record.

“One thing we tend to be good at is playing scrappy,” Alex says. This habit tends to come in handy when they want to win, so it always comes in handy. The Knights won’t be pushed around but will fight to the end. They “are good at making the other team angry,” Oliver explains, “through quick counter-attacks and tight defense.” These traits combined with undivided focus helped push the boys to where they are now, the hard-to-score on, scoring machines.

The goal is to make it to state, so they would need to beat the next two competitors: ASU Prep and Valley Lutheran. The other part to the process is seeing how other teams play against each other, to factor in their rankings. This year, they were able to do both of these things and make it to the playoffs!

They played Benjamin Franklin Jan. 31. Although they played with grit and determination, the Knights lost in overtime 3-1. But no need to hang your head! The team’s chemistry, dynamics and talent are sure to dominate next year.