BY JEREMY TEPPER
For the MV Independent
The adjustment to high school sports can be a trying one for most freshmen. Oftentimes, it takes time to adjust to the speed of the game, wipe out nerves and simply learn how to handle everything that comes with the bump up to another level.
Thomas Jefferson’s freshmen, it appears, are past any early season hindrances.
On Wednesday, they provided the strongest indication yet that they’ve arrived.
In an important section game against Trinity (2-3-1, 2-3-1), four of Thomas Jefferson’s five goals were scored by first-year players, as the Jaguars rolled to a commanding 5-1 victory.
Bella Vozar netted a hat trick, while Emma Martinis scored her first high school goal. Beyond those two, five other freshmen played.
“There were a lot of nerves, but I feel like finally after today we’re really breaking through,” Vozar said. “Even if you’re a senior or freshman, we all have the same intensity and the same work rate.”
Wednesday’s game was a breakthrough in a number of ways for the Jaguars (4-3-1, 3-2-0). It was a breakthrough for the freshmen, and breakthrough for the team as a whole, which lost to Trinity both times last season. And perhaps most importantly, it was a leap forward for the Jaguars’ offense, which outside of its nine goals against Woodland Hills, had only scored eight goals in its other six games leading up to the matchup.
The difference, Jaguars’ coach Jason Vozar said, was the team’s movement and effort. Their finishing, certainly, was good, too, but movement off the ball consistently put Thomas Jefferson in advantageous spots to score goals.
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