The MSMS soccer teams continued to show their strength, despite adverse climate conditions, as they faced off against Tupelo Christian Preparatory School in the fourth match-up of the semester on Jan. 20. The boys’ team managed to maintain their No. 2 district ranking, while the girls’ team experienced another defeat.

With a low of 28 degrees and a muddy field, the conditions were far from ideal for top physical performance.

“I think I speak for most of the team when I say the cold weather was miserable. It made running sluggish and it gave all of us very bad muscle pain after the game,” senior Raeed Kabir said. He and his teammates didn’t let the cold hinder their morale too much, though. “What happened to us also happened to the other team, so I guess we just wanted it more.”

The boys won with a score of 3-1, while the girls lost at 0-3; however, senior players said they feel this season was still an improvement over last year’s season.

“Last year, we didn’t have as many participants,” senior Zoe Damessous said, also highlighting the fact that the alternation between online and virtual students made consistent practice difficult. “This season, we’ve been able to practice a lot more and we’ve really bonded more as a team; it feels like a family.”

The night also functioned as a tribute to the senior players on both teams, with many students and families coming out to support the teams.

“Mu Alpha Theta and GSA both came out as organizations to support senior night, so the stands were packed. That was really a motivator, and it made the night so much more fun,” Kabir said.

Kabir said he agrees MSMS soccer is the best it has been for a while this year, pointing out the boys’ team will in fact be competing in the playoffs.

“Our team this year is probably one of the strongest that’s passed through in the past decade,” Kabir said. “Before last year, we had not qualified for playoffs for seven years straight, and now we’ve qualified two years in a row. These are very strong players.”