Blair boys’ soccer falls to Clarksburg in opening match

On Wednesday, Sept. 9, the Blair boys’ varsity soccer team lost 3-1 to the Clarksburg Coyotes in its season opener. Blair opened the game with several shots on goal, but none made it to the back of the net. In one early opportunity, Blazers’ senior striker Delwende Ouedraogo had a breakaway, but was blocked by several Clarksburg defenders. Clarksburg was able to catch Blair’s defense out of position in the next play, managing an open shot on goal, but it was quickly blocked by the Blazers’ goalie. 

Kieran Whittaker, a midfielder who provided a number of defensive assists, emphasized the team’s strong performance at the beginning of the game. “We definitely dominated the first half,” he noted.

However, Clarksburg took control in the early parts of the second half. The Coyotes scored their first goal following a corner kick less than ten minutes after halftime to take a 1-0 lead. Blair struggled to clear another Clarksburg attack shortly afterward, and the Coyotes quickly added a second goal. Clarksburg scored again midway through the half, before freshman striker Parker Weeda shot back a minute later — scoring Blair’s lone goal with 15:10 remaining.

Blair continued to push after Weeda’s goal. With about 13 minutes left in the game, the Blazers created another strong chance to score off a corner kick, but Clarksburg’s goalkeeper made the save. Blair kept pressing, but could not get another shot past the Coyotes’ strong defense. 

When asked for more insight into Blair’s performance, Whittaker also noted that the boys’ varsity team is being affected by several player injuries, but is nonetheless hopeful about the team’s season. 

“We’re good enough to be great even without our best players,” he explained. “It was unfortunate not having any of our main goal scorers due to some injuries, [but] one bad game will not really matter in the grand scheme of how we actually play.”

Head coach Allie Coyle cited a lack of positional discipline as the reason for the team’s defensive struggles.

“They’re trying to play multiple positions where, if they just did their position and stayed disciplined in their space, then their teammates could cover their own space, and it all works out smoothly,” Coyle explained.

In this year’s preseason, the Blazers maintained a 4-1 record, winning against Sherwood, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Severn Run, and Northeast High School with a single loss to Richard Montgomery. The boys’ varsity team will play their next game away at Wheaton High School on Tuesday, September 15th, with the JV team playing before them at 5:30 p.m.

Editor's note: Kieran Whittaker is a Silver Chips Online photo editor.