Marisol Wilkinson is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover McClintock High School for AZPreps365.com.

It's senior night, the last home game of the season for the McClintock girls soccer team, and the Chargers are looking for their first win. The seniors proudly take the field for the final time and, 90 minutes later, bow out with a victory.

That was four years ago. 

“I remember just feeling very excited as a freshman,” said four-year varsity player Morgan Kubasko. “We won it for our seniors, and I think that’s the mentality I’ve carried with me the past four years.”

Their high school career having come to a close, the seniors are reflecting on their experience on the soccer team together.

Even as freshmen, the girls had to take on important roles as starters for a team with small numbers.

“It was different because we never had the chance to grow together,” said senior Jordan Whitaker. “We basically had to learn quickly how to work together. There was no other option.”

From stepping up into positions they had never played, to going up against experienced club players, the girls began creating a family-style culture that would be formed over their time at McClintock. 

At the beginning of their senior year, the future was unknown. With the constant threat of COVID-19 and the head coaching position unfilled, the players relied on each other to prepare for their season, reminding Whitaker of “The Blindside.”  

“In the scene where his mom yells at him because he doesn’t hit correctly,” said Whitaker. “She tells him to look at his teammates as his brothers, and that he needs to defend them. That is basically the same concept we took for our team.”

During preseason, the seniors had the job of finding enough girls to field the team. Because of health reasons and other personal obstacles, the squad was made up of 18 players of all ages and experience. At other schools, it is normal to have a varsity and junior varsity team made up of at least 25 players.

With a new coaching staff in head coach Gerald Stuart and assistant coach Morgan Blackmore, the seniors were once again looked to for guidance in navigating the transition of the team. From explaining field positions to continuing game traditions, the girls made sure to inform the coaches.

“We really tried to help them understand how we play as a team,” said senior Holland Griffin. “We gave them resources and showed them how to fit in all the puzzle pieces. After playing with certain people for so long, you know what they’re thinking on the field which creates a more dynamic game.”

The coaches worked with the senior leaders to prepare for a season after battling through three potential season cancellations and adjusting to COVID-19 protocols. 

It took the team a few weeks to adjust to the rigorous and competitive schedule. After losing the first five games of their seven-week season, the seniors rallied to lead the team to a win against their rival, Tempe High. 

As the season drew to an end, the seniors prepared physically and emotionally, as they knew the time was near for their last home matchup against Horizon on March 3. 

The team fought until the very end, as they had all season, unfortunately coming up short with an 11-0 loss.

“I don’t think it really hit me until after I’d left the field,” said Kubasko. “It was the last time I was going to play on my field in my uniform, with these people. Seeing my senior poster and my parents, it was very nostalgic.”

For their senior celebration, family and friends gathered to commemorate the hard work the girls put in to grow the team and make it what it is today. Over the last four years, they have instilled a sense of family, discipline, togetherness, and grit that the team did not have before.

Although their time with the team is over, the seniors hope their legacy remains in the hearts of those who come after them. 

“When the whistle finally blew during the last game, I looked at my friends and I just laughed. We did it,” said Whitaker.