HS SOCCER: Devils soccer squads kick off inaugural season with scrimmages
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Shenandoah Valley Boys Soccer Head Coach John Burke talks to his team prior to a scrimmage against Lourdes Regional in 2023.
COAL TOWNSHIP – For the first time in decades, Shenandoah Valley student athletes donned the Columbia blue-and-whites to compete in a new sport.
Shenandoah Valley’s boys and girls soccer squads took to the field Saturday in scrimmages against Lourdes Regional near Shamokin.
While a scrimmage is not an official game, Saturday marked the first time the two squads competed in uniform.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” Boys Head Coach John Burke said after his team’s scrimmage. “It’s an honor. I tell these guys every day, before every practice, you’re making history. Today, they made history. We took the field as a Shenandoah Valley soccer team for the first time.”
“I told them to be proud. Be proud of the name on the front of your jersey, but also represent the town and the school with class,” Burke added.
Prior to this season, Shenandoah Valley offered soccer via co-op agreements with Nativity BVM in Pottsville and Cardinal Brennan until that school’s closure. In recent years, Shenandoah’s students at Nativity were standouts as Hilltoppers.
This year, the Devils will compete as independents in District XI, and Burke said they are treating it as a “training year.”
“We have two seniors, so [almost] everyone is coming back,” Burke said. “We’ll be in the league next year.”
“We’re looking to be competitive,” Burke added.
The independent schedule means the majority of games for both squads will be on the road this year. Each team has two home games, which will be played at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Both squads have one more scrimmage, at Marian Catholic on Tuesday, before opening the season next Saturday.
Full Photo Gallery – Boys
Full Photo Gallery – Girls
2023 Shenandoah Valley Boys Soccer Schedule
*BOLD DENOTES HOME*
- August 26 11:30am | Pen Argyl | @Pine Grove Tournament
- August 29 4:15pm | @Hazleton
- Sept. 9 5pm | Warrior Run | @Millville Tournament
- Sept. 7 5pm | North Schuylkill
- Sept. 9 10am | Midd-West | @Midd-West Tournament
- Sept. 14 6:30pm | @Lourdes Regional
- Sept. 16 10am | @Marian Catholic
- Sept. 23 3pm | @Shikellamy
- Sept. 28 5pm | @Pottsville
- Sept. 30 11am | @Tri-Valley
- Oct. 7 10am | Tri-Valley
- Oct. 14 1:30pm | @Notre-Dame East Stroudsburg
2023 Shenandoah Valley Girls Soccer Schedule
*BOLD DENOTES HOME*
- August 26 1:15pm | @Tri-Valley
- August 28 6pm | @Wyoming Seminary
- August 31 5pm | @North Schuylkill
- Sept. 2 | @Central Columbia Tournament
- Sept. 16 12:30pm | @Marian Catholic
- Sept. 18 4:15pm | @Nativity
- Sept. 20 5pm | Jim Thorpe
- Sept. 21 5pm | @Tri-Valley
- Sept. 23 10am | @Mount Carmel
- Sept. 27 5pm | @Tri-Valley
- Oct. 5 5pm | Lourdes Regional
- Oct. 7 3pm | @Bloomsburg
- Oct. 14 12pm | @Notre Dame East Stroudsburg
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