757 Spotlight – Four Wildcats Is Called A Destruction
Seriously, you can Google it. A group of wildcats is in fact called a destruction. While I was surprised to find that out, it honestly just lends to the growing narrative surrounding Great Bridge Boys soccer this season. They have…
Access all of Prep Soccer
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingSeriously, you can Google it. A group of wildcats is in fact called a destruction. While I was surprised to find that out, it honestly just lends to the growing narrative surrounding Great Bridge Boys soccer this season. They have been the epitome of destruction two months in, breezing through their schedule to an 11-0-0 record with 47 goals scored and only 3 allowed. If we are truly honest, only one of those goals came against their full strength side as well. It’s an impressive display of dominance from a team that was already picked to be one of the best in the area. They aren’t just living up to their billing, but exceeding it in ways that still raise eyebrows around town.
A lot of their success is built from within, a tight knit core of players that serve as role models on and off the pitch, helping further the culture of the squad and bringing this years edition of GBFC together as a whole. Carson Danner, Niko Panayiotou, Jack Ottley, and Aiden Taylor. These core four young men epitomize the success and effort of the Wildcats in 2024, and yes, they plan to destroy you.
Carson Danner (10) – Senior, Attacking Midfield/Forward – The Senior leader of the quartet and a regular name on the Hampton Roads scoreboards for the past four years, Danner embodies every positive descriptor you could throw his way. His play on the field is exceptional, with game IQ and positioning many students of the game would be envious of, and a knack for always being in the right place at the right time. This lends to his clinical chance creation and finishing, finding the net regularly and pushing him to the top of the team leaderboard for points with 10 goals and 11 assists. This goal scoring ability has carried him to ECNL glory with Beach FC and a recent commitment to Radford University in the fall.
Jack Ottley (11) – Sophomore, Attacking Midfield/Forward – The lone underclassman of this group but you’d never know it watching him play. Already overflowing with a wealth of high level experience (ECNL Regional Champion, New York Red Bulls academy features), Ottley came into Spring ’24 expecting to outdo himself from the previous school year. One might say that his stats aren’t quite measuring up to last year, but in reality, we are only just past halfway through the season and he’s already equaled his assist tally. Additionally, Ottley’s role in the Wildcat offense in more than just producing numbers. His ability to find space, get by defenders, and create for his teammates makes him an electrifying dynamo that needs to be accounted for at all times. If you lose him just for a moment, well… tough luck. Plenty of schools are interested in the abilities of this young man, but they need to act fast before another high level opportunity comes calling first.
Niko Panayiotou (8) – Junior, Central Midfield, Forward – The third part of this triangle offense, Panayiotou brings the added punch to the flair this team creates on the field. In many ways, Niko can be the most dangerous player on the pitch, with his runs and rotation placing him on the business end of Great Bridge attacks. This allows him the choice of going to goal or finding a teammate to slot home, and he displays a knack for making the correct choice in the given situation. He also exhibits a gritty tenacity, looking to win the ball back immediately when the team loses possession and is willing to put his body on the line to make it happen. Niko is currently uncommitted, but is garnering attention from several schools around the state and would be a spark plug addition for any school to recruit his services.
Aidan Taylor (20) – Senior, Defender – For any team to be truly quality, there needs to be a group of defensive stalwarts. Taylor has shown out as a leader of that defensive force, spearheading an effort of nearly 600 scoreless minutes to start the season. Over the course of 11 matches, this has resulted in a Hampton Roads best 0.27 goals against average and a consensus around the region of the Wildcats dominance as number 1. Individually, Taylor shows a mastery of t his defensive duties, strong to win the ball both on the floor and through the air, while leading the back line with a precision and showing ability with the ball at his feet to both play it out and find teammates on the counter.