By Lila Cohen

For The Beachcomber

The VHS boys’ varsity soccer team had a full last week of regular-season games. The junior varsity season was shut down due to a COVID scare on the opposing team in their only game this season.

On Monday, varsity kicked off at home against Cascade Christian. Senior Jakob Heuschert scored four goals right off the bat, with assists from junior Bellamy Cox and Senior Will Kim. Cox had the next goal which was assisted by junior Levi Stahl. Senior Bassam Almustafa scored Vashon’s sixth goal with just eight minutes left in the first half. Sophomore Moses Trundle gave a through ball to Heuschert, who relayed it to Almustafa who took the shot, hitting the crossbar but bouncing into the goal. Trundle scored one more time for Vashon, before the half ended, bringing the score to 7-0.

As Vashon kicked off in the second half, Stahl started as Vashon’s keeper to give keeper Evan Keppler some time as a field player. Keppler ended up scoring off of a pass from Cox. Vashon ended the game with a 9-0 victory, with the last goal scored by Kim.

Vashon played again at home against Charles Wright on Wednesday. The stands were crowded with spectators out to show their support for the seniors on their Senior Night.

Just four minutes into the game Stahl took a shot from mere steps outside the penalty box, the keeper fumbled the ball and Heuschert was positioned to tap in Vashon’s first goal. Minutes later, a Vashon defender was escorted off the field after suffering a knee injury.

Vashon continued to play hard, scoring their second goal in the 12th minute. Heuschert scored from the 20-yard line after receiving a pass from Stahl. Charles Wright kept pushing but hardly passed the 50-yard line into Vashon’s defensive half. Vashon, however, scored yet another goal approximately 10 minutes later. Heuschert passed to Cox who carried down the left side and delivered a low, hard shot that flew by Charles Wright’s keeper.

With less than two minutes left in the half, Kim was fouled in the penalty box, drawing a penalty kick for Vashon. Senior Chris Fontina took the kick and his shot sailed into the back of the net, a perfect end to the half.

During halftime, the team celebrated their 10 seniors graduating this year, and as the second half kicked off, Vashon continued to strengthen their lead.

Vashon scored two more goals in the second half before the final whistle. The first one was an own goal after Van Dusen took a shot that rebounded off of a Charles Wright defender into the back of the net. And the second was by Cox who received a cross from Stahl who carried down the right wing after a give-and-go with Van Dusen.

Vashon, yet again, walked off the field victorious with a solid 6-0 win. Vashon was scheduled to have their final regular-season game on Friday but it was canceled due to a COVID-19 case on the opposing team. Vashon’s next game is the league semi-finals match at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 5 at Vashon High School. If they win on Wednesday they will play in the championships which are set to take place Friday, May 7.

This year, the VHS boys’ varsity soccer team will say goodbye to ten valuable teammates. During halftime of the final regular-season home game, it is a tradition for spectators, players and coaches to honor these seniors in a “Senior Night” ceremony and this year was no different. Below is each senior’s post-high school plan and their favorite soccer memory.

Midfielder Chance Mentink plans on attending Lewis and Clark College.

“My favorite soccer memory is from a few years ago, I was in Germany for the World Cup in 2010, I think, I was watching a qualifying game in a pub, super jet-lagged, and fell asleep watching the game. When I woke up there were people flooding the streets, and police cars being rocked back and forth, all for a qualifying game,” he said.

Midfielder/forward Jessie Townsend plans on attending Western. His favorite soccer memory was going to his first DC United game.

Midfielder/defender Chris Fontina plans on attending the University of Washington or Washington State University to study either business or accounting. He said his favorite soccer memory was “late-night practices with [Paul B] and getting delicious pastries afterward.”

Midfielder and (more notably) team captain Jakob Heuschert is undecided on where he wants to attend college but wants to study environmental science. Favorite soccer memory? “Lifting the Washington State High School Boys Soccer trophy at the end of the 2019 season, with unforgettable teammates in front of all the members of our community that has supported us for so many years.”

Midfielder Ethan McIntyre plans to study environmental science. For McIntrye, “playing in the rec cup finals in the pouring rain and being soaking wet,” was his standout memory. “Everyone was joking around,” he said.

Midfielder Zach Van Dusen plans on attending Bates College.

“[My favorite soccer memory was] spectating the all-out brawl in a JV game freshman year,” Van Dusen said. “I’m glad Sean Robertson was protecting our goalie at all costs.”

Forward/midfielder Alec Macomber plans on attending Denison University. For Macomber, a standout memory was when his club team got second place in a tournament at [Starfire] and he was elected MVP.

Forward/midfielder Will Kim plans “to appreciate and be proud of myself.”

“My favorite moment was winning state with the soccer team the year that me and Jesse came to Vashon from Washington DC,” he said.

Defender/midfielder Bassam Almustafa plans to study aviation, and his best soccer memory goes way back.

“A good soccer memory I have is when I was in 4th grade, I was playing as keeper and the ball hit my face hard and I lost a tooth,” he said. “Never played as a keeper since then.”

Defender Manny Pereyda plans to study criminal justice. Favorite memory?

“A few years ago, on a trail run the whole team started to play zombie tag in the woods,” he said.