Vernon soccer team showing optimism

VERNON — There is a good amount of optimism surrounding the Vernon High School boy’s soccer program this season-and why not-the Vikings are playing quite well against a steady stream of strong competition.
They are looking to build momentum and hopefully make their presence felt where the stakes are very high-in the post-season.
Helping to keep the team motivated this fall are the three senior captains Jake Lally, Chris Ploch and Nik Polizos.
Joseph Jones, the head coach for the Vikings, noted some of the ways in which the trio of leaders help guide the squad this fall.
“Both Chris and Jake have three years of varsity experience and Nik is entering his fourth year on the varsity squad,’’ Jones said. “They are respected by the other members of the program both on and off the field. They serve as leaders on both the field and in the school community. They work hard every minute of every practice and every game. When I need a message to get through to the team, I know I can rely on them to speak for me.’’
Jones is keenly aware of the ways in which the captains have improved themselves on the pitch this year.
“The biggest change I have noticed among these three during the season has been their ability to keep the team together as one unit,’’ Jones said. “When we have hit a hiccup during the season, I have relied on the captains to keep the team moving forward.
“All three strive to succeed off the field as well. On a special note, Chris Ploch is exploring the military academies as part of his post-high school path and has received positive responses."
As with any solid group of leaders, Lally, Ploch and Polizos are willing to help guide their teammates in the right direction.
“They continuously push their teammates to push themselves and be better than the day before," Jones said. “They provide positive feedback on the field during situational play and provide the standard for hard work during practice."
The Vikings have a home match scheduled versus Lenape Valley on Oct. 24.
“We are very hopeful that we can win our first (NJSIAA) State Tournament game in about a decade," Jones said. “One of the goals we set at the start of the year was to provide a foundation for the programs to build off of in the years to come. I feel we are in the process of doing that. The success we have enjoyed during the first half of the season is greatly do to team unity. This is the most cohesive unit we have had in many years."
NOTES: The NJSIAA sectional Tournaments get underway across New Jersey on Oct. 31.