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Photo by Kyle Parmley
The John Carroll Catholic High School girls soccer team spoke at a preseason media day event at Hewitt-Trussville High School on Jan. 22, 2025.
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The John Carroll Catholic High School boys soccer team spoke at a preseason media day event at Hewitt-Trussville High School on Jan. 22, 2025.
After strong 2024 campaigns, both the John Carroll Catholic High School boys and girls soccer teams enter the 2025 season with high expectations.
The boys, who finished 16-10-1 last year, enter the year ranked No. 2 in the preseason coaches’ poll. The girls, coming off an 18-3-5 season and a playoff berth, begin the season ranked No. 3 in 5A.
Both teams took some time to preview their seasons at the annual preseason media day event, hosted this year by Hewitt-Trussville High School on Jan. 22.
For head coach Matt Kirkpatrick and the boys team, the emphasis is on growth and maintaining tradition. The Cavaliers graduated 16 players two years ago, but now return a more seasoned core alongside a group of promising young players.
"There’s a lot of promise coming into the year," Kirkpatrick said. "Last year, we were losing key positions, but this season, we have a lot more experience coming in and some young guys who are eager to get on the field.
“John Carroll has a rich soccer tradition and a big legacy to uphold, and this group is ready for that challenge."
The Cavaliers take that tradition seriously, fostering a culture of unity and accountability within the program.
"Being a faith-based school helps a lot when it comes to serving and supporting each other," Kirkpatrick said. "We want to leave the program better than we found it.”
Senior Sebastian Guerrero, now in his fifth year with the program, recognizes the importance of leading by example.
"It’s our turn to set the example for the young kids," Guerrero said. "Since I’ve been here so long, I’ve seen different captains throughout the years, and that’s shown me what kind of leader I want to be."
The boys team will open the season at the Lakeshore Shootout Tournament (Feb. 13-15), facing Spain Park, Austin and Benjamin Russell. Other key matchups include rivalries against Indian Springs (March 11), Homewood (April 4) and Briarwood (April 15). The Cavaliers will also compete in an area featuring Center Point, Carver-Birmingham and Ramsay.
On the girls side, head coach Robert Crawford believes the team has the talent to return to championship form, provided they stay healthy.
"We’re trying to build on [2024] and get back to where we used to be," Crawford said. "We can do that, barring injuries, because we’re thin. But things are looking up, and our captains will be the ones to lead the way."
The Cavaliers pride themselves on taking on tough competition.
"We play up. The six ties we had last year were all against 6A and 7A teams,” Crawford added. “To get where we want to go, you have to play hard people."
Senior Sophia Sevier emphasized the importance of team leadership and accountability in keeping the program competitive.
"We want to lead by example from the start, taking care of the small things," Sevier said. "We’re only as strong as our weakest links. We can build everyone up and help everyone play their game.”
Fellow senior Mia Wos believes work ethic and mental toughness will be key.
"The work ethic is definitely there," Wos said. "As long as we work hard every day and do the little things right, we can do big things.”
For senior Tori Botthof, the emphasis is on effort and execution.
"It’s more of a leadership thing because we have new talent coming in," Botthof said. "There are big shoes to fill, but we can do it.”
The girls team opens its season on Feb. 13 against Hewitt-Trussville, followed by a home game against Leeds on Feb. 18. As the season progresses, key matchups against Indian Springs (March 11), Homewood (April 4) and Briarwood (April 15) will challenge them as well.
Homewood's boys and girls teams were unable to make it to media day. But the Patriots boys are fresh off a state championship last spring and will be looking to follow that up this spring. The girls team advanced to the second round of the state playoffs before falling to eventual state champion Mountain Brook.