Alumni Soccer Game

Uh well, dance all night, play all day
Don’t let nothin’ get in the way
Dance all night keep the beat
Don’t you worry ‘bout two left feet
   -Ric Ocasek, singer/songwriter (1944-2019)

It was first and ten, the ball was on the twenty-yard line…with temperatures reaching the low 90s this week, it was time to shake it up a bit… oo yeah!  

The 12th Annual Alumni vs the Boys Varsity Soccer Derby took place at HRA on October 5, 2019.  This marked the first time this match took place in the football stadium.  After retiring from coaching boys’ soccer for 31 years, Kelly Alford joined the Alumni as club manager.  Scott Herbert ’06 and Justin Currin ’10 served as team captains.  After the referees emphasized good sportsmanship and fair play during the captain’s meeting, Herbert gave his synopsis, “Don’t let them knock you around,” Currin hesitated, thought, then harmonized, “Let the good times roll!”

Veterans Ken Tankersley ’87, Rob Dearnley ’87, Jeff Katz ’91, and Scott Ashe ’99 led the Alumni on the pitch.   Young guns Tate Tanguy ’19, Ryan Post ’19, and Marks Rauch ’19 improved the speed of the game and significantly dropped the average age of the Alumni players from 43 to 37 years old!  The alumni attack was fierce during the first half, kicking the ball through the uprights eight times, netting 48 points.  That would have been great if we were playing Australian Rules Football, but unfortunately, we weren’t playing that type of football.
  
Tied 1-1 at halftime, reality sank in.  Emerging from his hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber, Dearnley turned to his teammates and belted out, “Who’s gonna tell you things, aren’t so great.”  Empathizing, Mario Kokolis ’88 (Walsingham) added, “We can’t go on, thinking nothing’s wrong.”  This was the mentality the Alumni needed to drive them home that night!  No longer would the Alumni leave the ball up in the air, nor would they brush their rock and roll hair.  

The defense went “old school” with Dearnley, Tankersley, Katz and Herbert, shutting down the Varsity.  The Alumni made significant adjustments to the attack.  Alford reviewed the concepts of possession, controlled passing and shooting the ball on goal with midfielders and forwards.  Alford pleaded, “It’s touch and go, oh, oh, oh.”  Apparently, that was just what they needed.  With time winding down on the clock machine, assisted by selfless play of young guns and veterans alike, Ashe tucked away two into the back of the net, leading the alumni to victory.  
Alumni win 3-1…Let’s Go!

*We dedicate this Alumni Game Summary to Mary Blalock:  An outstanding person and supporter of all things HRA.  Her dedication helped keep the Alumni Game an annual event!