By Lela Shepherd — The boy’s soccer team is feeling an immense amount of pride for finally having beat Jackson in what would now be a little over a decade, earning themselves their first Federal League. The established rivalry with Jackson is one with a history; along with a lengthy list of games ending with a tie.

The game, having taken place at Jackson High School on Aug. 30, was won with a score of 1 to 0. After such an extended period of time and competition between GlenOak and Jackson, the win was well-deserved; and worth the excitement even now, after it is over.

“We’re having a good year,” Soccer coach Noah Dockus said. “We’ve (finally) beaten Jackson in 15 years.”

The team is obviously self-assured in their athletic ability, and only look to work harder with their rising reputations, considering they not only beat Jackson, but a plethora of others. The recorded wins are Austintown Fitch 4-1, Mckinley 9-0, Nordonia 6-0, Wadsworth 4-2, Hoover 2-1, Boardman 3-1, and Perry 6-0, losing only to Firestone (2-0) and Lake High (3-0), giving them an impressive 7 out of 9 possible wins.

Tension is high among the team, but it is of the positive kind, giving the boys, particularly the upperclassmen, the drive they need to do better; and win more. “It’s been pretty crazy, to be honest,” senior and mid fielder Patrick Downing said. “But I’m confident.”

The team is looking forward to going head to head with Green next Tuesday, and though hoping to add another win to their list, mental states are going haywire. Training all year round, along with congratulations on a good season, and expectations to keep it that way, increases the pressure to perform well. Big games can cause disorganized minds, but boy’s soccer is doing well so far. The point of every team is to get only the best from their players.

[Updated Aug. 19, 2017: This article has been reformatted for consistency.]