The MSMS’s soccer teams played at the Columbus Soccer Complex in their last non-district match with both teams losing for the first time this season. On Nov. 17, 2020, the Lady Waves lost 2-1 to the Vardaman High School Rams in a close first match and the boys suffered a 3-0 defeat in the second match. 

During much of the first match, the Lady Waves were neck-and-neck with Vardaman with senior Ashley Mangus scoring the sole goal, but then 15 minutes before the game ended the Rams scored a goal and took the lead. 

Despite losing this game, many team members think they are improving every time they step on the field.

“I think our team is improving overall in all aspects, specifically passing, and we are definitely working better as a team together,” junior Kareena Patel said.    

Junior Destiny Van was one of the many defensive players that helped prevent Vardaman from scoring more goals in the second half.

“We put up a really good fight against Vardaman, and they played more coordinated as a team than ever before,” Van said.   

Even with the defeat, the Lady Waves are now more determined than ever to get back on the field and continue to learn and grow as a team. Coach Yarborough is proud of their growth from the start of this season. 

“The start of our season has gone very well. The girls have a 3-1 record going into the holiday break, and we have grown together as a team—learning to communicate on the field, to trust one another during matches and to encourage each other when the inevitable mistakes are made,” Yarborough said.  

In the second game, the Rams were able to spot the weak spots in the boys’ defense and use them to their advantage. 

“It was difficult for us to figure out how to contain their offense, based mostly in through passes, the first half. Things were even on the midfield and both teams had chances to score but were unsuccessful,” Coach Armando Leyva said. “For the second half, we began to run out of energy and in a matter of a few minutes we allowed the score to pile up 0-3.”

 With the loss against Vardaman, the Blue Waves seem more determined than ever. 

“I believe the team left their all on the field, ” said Nicholas Djedos, a junior player. “I’m hopeful that this loss will inspire us to train harder for the next match.” 

“The game was a wakeup call. We have a lot of things we need to work on, but the loss did not deter us on the field,” junior Raeed Kabir said.