This year has truly been a year like no other, and it palpably affected the fall varsity sports season for Kingswood Oxford. Required mask use, maintaining social distancing, shortened practices, and no official games were just some of the many challenges that both coaches and student-athletes faced during the season. Seniors across all sports were devastated as COVID-19 preempted fundamentally all forms of competition, forcing an abrupt end to their high school fall athletic careers.
Boys Varsity Soccer
The boys varsity soccer team was poised to build upon their solid season last year with a strong core of returning upperclassmen and a desire to get back to the Class B playoffs. Unfortunately, Head Coach Hikmet Aslan and his players had to take a different approach to the season and follow what was acceptable within the COVID-19 guidelines. At times, wearing masks outside in the blazing heat while sprinting up and down the field was difficult, but it brought the players closer together as a group. Everyone experienced the same struggles with adjusting to the protocols, and even though this was a struggle the team bonded to get the most out of the season. Senior captain Chris Sienko noted the team unity and made sure to cherish every moment during his final season with the team. “It was such an unconventional season,” Sienko said. “I had a lot of fun bonding with the team. I tried to enjoy every last minute of it since we had no idea how long the season was going to last.” The boys varsity soccer team made it through the oddities of the season, and they say goodbye to 11 departing seniors.
Girls Varsity Soccer
Girls varsity soccer had a successful fall during Head Coach Krista Sahrbeck’s first season at the helm, with a mix of returners and new faces across the team. With shortened practices, it was vital for the group to focus diligently and improve in a variety of areas. “We did a lot of individual skill work along with tactical drills, small-sided games, and intrasquad scrimmages,” Coach Sahrbeck said. “After the first month or two of strictly modified practices, the team did participate in two scrimmages against the Christian Heritage School and St. Luke’s School.” Though these were the only games of the season, the girls were excited to compete for the first time as a team and have some game action. Coach Sahrbeck was really proud of all her players over the course of the season, especially senior midfield captains Catherine Daniels, Annelise Vaugn, and Izzy Jacobson. “To know that they lost their senior season and all of their goals and thoughts of what could have been,” Coach Sahrbeck said. “They really set the team culture of hard work, positivity, and competitiveness each day.” The future looks bright for girls varsity soccer, and they will have a new set of experienced seniors leading the way next year.
Girls Cross Country
Girls cross country ran with the opportunities presented to them and had a great season. Practices mostly went unchanged, consisting of distance runs, mile repeats, tempo runs, and sprint workouts on campus, while other times venturing off to Elizabeth Park or the West Hartford Reservoir. At the culmination of the season, the girls competed in a “virtual meet” against the Loomis Chaffee School and Westminster School on Friday, Nov. 6, that had over 50 runners in the race. Head Coach Tricia Watson was impressed with the way her team ran in the meet and was proud of their resilience throughout the season. “New friendships formed and athletes were engaged in supporting each other to reach their personal goals,” Coach Watson said. Junior Captain Stella Risinger acknowledged that the season was definitely out of the ordinary, but they had a great balance of fun and achieving personal best times. “Everyone cheered one another on and I think that we managed to have a lot of fun,” Risinger said. “We worked towards personal goals and bonding as a team.” Both Risinger and junior Captain Olivia Reynolds are returning next season in what will be their final year with the team.
Boys Cross Country
The boys cross country team is a very close-knit team, and a lot of their relationships translate to outside of running as well. The runners were able to train outside every day and the social distancing guidelines didn’t necessarily change the entire landscape of their practices. Head Coach Fritz Goodman loved the camaraderie of the team and their preparation for the only virtual meet of the season. He was particularly content with senior Captain Matt Bzowyckyj and his ability to lead the team and always being the first person to cheer on the other runners. “Matt would have been our MVP if this were a normal season,” Coach Goodman said. “He was an excellent team captain.” In addition to Bzowyckyj, the team is losing senior Braeden Rose, but the bulk of their runners are returning next year and optimistic for the future.
Volleyball
Volleyball looked very different this year, but the girls remained positive and always had a lot of fun. With COVID-19 restrictions prohibiting the team from playing in Hewett and Soby gyms, they had to move outside. There were two nets set up adjacent to each other in front of the cafeteria and next to Hoffman Football Field. Despite the drastic changes, Head Coach Scott McDonald was very pleased with his team swiftly getting acclimated to the circumstances and improving their skills. “I was proud of everyone during the season because they came out and had fun against each other, even though we weren’t able to work towards normal competition against other schools,” Coach McDonald said. “We had a wide range of skill and experience and it was wonderful to see our stronger players mentor and embrace the less experienced players.” Senior Captain Sydney Smith was dominant last year as she guided the volleyball team to a Class B Championship, and Coach McDonald was saddened that her amazing high school career came to such a sudden end. “Sydney did a great job of setting a positive tone despite this being a disappointing final season for her as a senior,” he said. The team will see the return of all but two of their players next year and is in store for a great season next fall.
Football
Football suffered major modifications to their season, but this didn’t stop the demand in work ethic and attention to detail. The first four weeks were very challenging and certainly unchartered territory for both the coaches and players. Head Coach James Wells concurred with this statement, taking the COVID-19 guidelines very seriously and trying to make the most out of the season. “It was a challenging fall for football,” Coach Wells said. “Not being able to wear pads and engage in contact was tough. We had to restructure our practices and replaced the contact portions with a focus on speed development and the passing game.” The team did eventually have two 7v7 scrimmages, one against Greenwich Country Day School and the other against St. Luke’s School. In both, Coach Wells thought his squad performed well and their passing attack looked much more enhanced than last year. Blocking was prohibited in the scrimmages, so instead the offensive and defensive lines took part in tug of war battles against the other teams. A number of seniors on this year’s team are departing, but Coach Wells is confident that the rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors will do an excellent job of taking over the reins next year. “We have a solid core of senior players that we are going to miss, but this creates opportunities for new guys to step into those roles,” Coach Wells said. “I expect every player to take on a leadership role and it is always interesting to see who emerges through the off-season as true leaders of the team.”
Field Hockey
Field Hockey made it through a difficult season, as they were only able to play in one scrimmage and had their senior day canceled. Still, the girls had a blast during practices and bonded greatly as a team. Senior center back Co-captain Keegan McMahon treasured her final moments with the team and reflected on her time playing field hockey at Kingswood Oxford. “The main thing I enjoyed during the season was the team,” McMahon said. “We are a family and being able to go to practice each day and spend time with the team was the best thing that happened during the fall season.” There are 10 seniors leaving the team and at each position there are holes to be filled, but the underclassmen are prepared to step up and become integral leaders for the team in years to come.
KO’s fall varsity sports teams prevailed through the toughest season imaginable and we wish the seniors the best of luck as they head into their final winter and spring sports seasons as Wyverns.
