After losing in the first round of the playoffs last year, the 12 returning players on the Panthers’ varsity soccer team were ready to redeem themselves. To help them, coach Mike Hanie  decided to spray paint inspirational quotes on the practice soccer field.

“I decided to give the players something more to think about,” Hanie said.  “I wanted them to relate these quotes not only to soccer but to real life.”

The Panthers went 13-4-1 on the season and 10-2-0 in Region 4-AAAAA play. They finished second in the region, clinching  a spot in the state playoffs. “It’s an exciting feeling to be able to continue this season,” senior defender Tristan Ulversoy said.

But to get to the playoffs, the boys had to establish a winning season.  In their first home game, they pulled off a big 1-0 win over East Coweta on a goal by sophomore Patrick Bonilla. “David [Brunskole] passed the ball unexpectedly towards me, so I ran and beat the defender to the ball and chipped the ball over the goalie when he came out,” Bonilla said. “It was my first varsity goal, and it seemed like a dream. That was the first time I’ve felt like this is my home. It’s my most memorable goal, and I will never forget it.”

On Friday, March 27, the Panthers faced the Northgate Vikings in a huge region game. Senior Armon Varmeziar was able to get his foot on the ball and direct it into the goal early in the first half to make it 1-0 Starr’s Mill. Varmeziar ended the regular season as the leading scorer with 12 goals. “I am honored to be doing well this season, but honestly, it doesn’t feel very different being the leading scorer,” he said. “It’s a team effort and plenty of people score along with me. We have plenty of players contributing five to 10 goals to our total of 69 goals. We work hard, but more importantly, we work together to find our success.”

The Panthers seemed to have the momentum in the first half, and then they were awarded a penalty kick after the Vikings handled the ball in the box. Senior Brandon Oot stepped up to take the penalty for the Panthers to give his team a 2-0 lead.

The defensive line held Northgate at bay. In the second half,  senior keeper Mitch Pattison made a great save taking  control of the ball. “It feels really great when I make a save,” Pattison said. “It always makes me happy not to let the team down.”

Senior midfielder Tyler Annis volleyed a ball  into the inside netting to make it 3-0.  Finally, with just a minute left on the clock, Varmeziar broke past a defender and scored to seal the deal for a 4-0 shutout.

On Thursday, April 2,  it was time for the annual “Battle of the Bubble” match between Starr’s Mill and McIntosh, this time at McIntosh Stadium. McIntosh’s and Starr’s Mill’s are among the elite soccer programs in the state. Every year, this game is a major factor in deciding who will finish at the top of the region. Before the game, both teams were tied for first in the region with identical 8-1 records.

This fast-paced game was intense early in the first half. Senior Anthony Hoelle found the upper 90 of the goal, but the ball hit off the crossbar and the Chiefs were able to clear it forward. McIntosh quickly went for the counterattack and scored the first goal of the game.

For the next 15 minutes, Starr’s Mill was able to keep possession but was unable to find the back of the net. McIntosh took advantage of a breakaway to go up 2-0.  With 17 minutes left in the game, McIntosh scored again, this time off a cross to make it 3-0.   Despite the Panthers’ best efforts, the Chiefs took control of the game to win 4-0, with their last goal coming on a low, fast shot.

“I think we just weren’t as mentally prepared for the game, unlike McIntosh,” Varmeziar said. “That was probably the worst we played all season, but we didn’t let that hurt our morale, and we hope we can play them again in the state tournament. We use that game as a reminder to take everything more seriously.”

The Panthers’ game with the Whitewater Wildcats on Tuesday, April 14, was another highly anticipated game on their schedule. The rivalry between the two schools always draws a lot of fan interest.  “It is one we want to play every year since they used to be in our region,” Hanie said.  

The game was a nail biter. Both teams had their fair share of chances. Pattison came up big making multiple saves in the first half. Oot scored a goal in the last seven minutes to give the Panthers a hard-fought 1-0 victory. “Whitewater always has a good team, and it is normally a very close game as it was again this year,” Hanie said. “It was a very good game of soccer and we were able to pull out a great win.”

According to Hanie, his team relies heavily on the experience of its veteran players, which includes 14 seniors. “Most of the seniors are good friends and have played with each other for years,” Hanie said. “It is always good to have 75 percent  of your starters as upperclassmen because they bring size, strength, experience and are good role models for the younger players.”

The Panthers play in their first state playoff game at 6 p.m. today  at Panther Stadium where they will host visiting Statesboro. “It’s nice to be able to play the first game at home,” Ulversoy said. “Hosting the game gives us home-field advantage, a great fan base, and we don’t have to go on a long, tiring bus ride.”