Goodbye, And Thank You

Varsity Sports Writing: Farewell

By: Greg Wolfe

There's no easy way to start this.

If I had to sum up my senior year experience in just one word it would have to be extraordinary. All three previous years at this school, I was very quiet and kept to myself not wanting to stick out in any way. Fly under the radar, just get by, that's what I always told myself. But as college and adulthood were quickly approaching, I realized quickly I needed to find what I wanted to do with my life.

I sat down at a restaurant one evening with a family friend who talked to me about sports writing. I was nervous at first, and didn't know if it was for me. That same week though, I went to Chancellor's football game against Massaponax which as most of you already know we won, and upset the powerhouse of the county. After that, I had this feeling and that there were so many other stories to tell at this school.

And so I took that feeling, and ran with it. Thanks to an incredibly supportive staff and coaches at Chancellor, I was able to get my first chance at truly reporting a game at Chancellor. On September 16, I reported my first game which was a large Chancellor football victory over the visiting Liberty Eagles.

I never looked back.

This is my 114th and final post of the year, and I can't be more thankful and grateful for those around me who supported me and gave me the opportunity to find what I truly wanted to do in my life. Sports writing became my passion, and I loved going to games almost every night and watching the stories develop around me as our athletes amazed me every night.

Football, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Basketball, Wrestling, Swimming, Baseball, Softball, and Soccer. I was blessed to cover all these teams this year, and am so proud of all of you and your accomplishments. All of you, the athletes, were the storytellers and I put your story on paper so all could see just how special our athletic program is. We don't win it all every single year, but we make sure to leave it all on the field and that no team cheats us out of a win. I saw more heart at this school than I had seen anywhere else my entire life, and I mean that with full honesty. Thank you, athletes, for being so supportive and playing your hearts out all year.

So here we are, graduation approaching quickly and the end of the sports year in sight. I look back, and I wouldn't change a thing. My journey isn't over, as I move onward and upwards to continue my education at Radford University next fall. I will always look back at this year and see it as the best, and wherever this crazy journey takes me I will always hold my experiences at Chancellor close to my heart.

I wish I could thank you all personally, or name you but that list would go on forever. 

Thank you, to everyone.

This sports page and it's social media accounts are now left available to any student in the future who wishes to pick up what I did this year. If you would like to gain access to them, please contact the journalism teacher Mrs. Gattie at Chancellor High School.

Chargers Storm Over Trojans To Regional Championship

Boys Soccer Playoffs: Midlothian Trojans vs. Chancellor Chargers

By: Greg Wolfe

The Chancellor Chargers were able to graciously welcome the chance to host the 4A-East Regional Championship Friday night. The Midlothian Trojans, who had upset the Jamestown Eagles in penalty kicks just the night before, were seemingly no match to the home team energy as the Chargers scored twice in the second half to eventually win 2-0.

The first half was full of missed opportunities for the Chargers, who owned the possession game. The Chargers also saw the return of their team captain, Nico Vega, in the first half. But his play time was limited after a rough play sent him to the ground and eventually limping off the field.

That was the only injury scare of the night for the Chargers, who have been facing injuries ever since the playoffs started. For the Trojans, they were missing two key players and a coach due to red card problems the night before. When the score was still tied 0-0 at halftime, the Trojans were breathing heavily and gracious the scoreboard was still empty after 5 shots on goal and 5 corner kicks by the Chargers.

Going into halftime, the Chargers were looking for answers on how to break the ice and find the net. Eli Carr, who has become the Chargers go-to scorer as of late, was the answer for the Chargers coming out of the half.

Just one minute into the second half, Ruben Niamien bodied his way into a Midlothian corner and spotted his teammates coming across the field. With a perfect pass across the box, Carr was able to easily knock it in to score the first goal of the night for the Chargers. The Chaos section and heavily supportive Chancellor fans went crazy, as the team mauled Carr who just keeps coming through clutch for his team.

The Trojans would try to get back into the game, as they started to feel their second wind. The offense had been about non-existent all night, partially thanks to some masterful defensive play by Kris Kokoneshi and Mike Kreider in the backfield, as the Trojans did not record a single shot on goal until the second half. Josh Reid, the Charger goalie, had an unusual lonely night only recording one save.

The Chargers would later look to create some distance, as it was Niamien again who had another good look from the Trojans' corner. He made a similar pass, but this time it was Herson Benitez who would find the net for a goal. Benitez faked out the Trojan goalie, causing him to dive and making it a clear shot for himself.

With only 9:30 left on the clock, the Chargers were able to coast to the finish line as the defense held strong and kept the Trojans from getting anywhere close to the net. As the clock wound down, the Chargers kept the shutout in tact and left no doubt as to who the 4A-East Champions were.

Some notable performances that go a bit unnoticed in the scorebook, would have to be Benitez and Escobar's efforts tonight. Both players were pivotal in ball movement and keeping the Trojans from ever creating a threat. Benitez had a rough couple games before hand, and looked back to his usual self as he was the commanding force on the field while Escobar continue's to be dangerous at midfield. 

The Chargers' story isn't over yet, despite claiming their second trophy of the year. Their next challenge will be at the state tournament next Friday, when they will hit the road to play the Charlottesville Black Knights who lost their conference championship tonight.

As this is my final article of the year due to graduation, I wish the Boys Soccer team good luck and know they will do great! Thank you for the wonderful season!

Stat Section

Chancellor Chargers

(Click image for full view)

Midlothian Trojans

(Click image for full view)