The Rise of FC Masterman

Masterman High School has never been a school for athletic greatness, but success in recent years has come from the cross country, basketball, and tennis teams. However, this year, a new sport is on the rise at Masterman: Soccer (or football), has become a hot topic throughout the Masterman hallways and social media this fall. The boys team finished the regular season with a record of 8-7 (5-4 in-conference), but they have played many games where the outcome was decided by one goal. The girls, on the other hand, finished with a 10-1-2 record, their only tie being against Central. Central is the biggest challenge to the girls’ title run, while Northeast is the biggest threat to the boys (they lost to Lincoln in the semi-finals). I interviewed both Mr. Roache (the girls’coach) and Tyler Weiss (the boys’ coach) about their season so far, goals for the future, and student support.

Note: These interviews were conducted before the playoffs began.

What were your expectations/goals coming into this season?

Mr. Roache: We always have some similar goals. One is to find our identity and be playing our best soccer as we head into mid-October and the playoffs. We also are always looking to compete for the Public League and into states, as those things go. I also want my girls to have fun. Part of the fun is finding the identity for each team, it’s not always the same.

Coach Tyler: The expectations for this team was to become a force in the public league and to represent District 12 with honor. The goal was, and is, to win Public League and States. This will be the goal every year until we do it and then after, the goal will be to go back-to-back. Any goal that is less would be cheating the boys out of pushing for their full potential.

What makes this year different from previous years?

Coach Tyler: The thing that makes this year different than previous has been resources. On day 1, I spent close to $1,000 on balls, pinnies, cones, agility poles, and even summer training fields. Things that are a minimum requirement for the team to be successful. The parents of the boys have really stepped up as well. I organized gear for the boys, team photos, and even a live-stream camera which the parents stepped in and fundraised and paid for. The fact that I have the parents backing my philosophy has been a huge help in growing the team.

Mr. Roache: [For] this particular team, we went through a formation change and some tactical things we did differently, and it all clicked. There were also a lot of new players, we have 27 players which is the largest team I’ve ever had. We had to find that rhythm in practice, that tone of seriousness and focus, along with enjoyment. It took us until mid-September for that to happen, but we’ve found it.

Can this group of guys/girls win the Public League?

Mr. Roache: Definitely, we have a good chance. We’ve beaten every team and tied with Central, so we’re right there. We have a team that doesn't give up goals and that has a lot of offensive firepower, so I think we have the chance to beat anyone in the league.

Coach Tyler: Simply, yes. This is a good group of kids who have the ability to go far if they continue to play for each other. They need to want to sacrifice and make every extra run, but we can certainly complete all of our goals. No doubt.

Do you think that this will set a new standard at Masterman?

Coach Tyler: I would love for this team to create some real love for the soccer program, boys and girls, to bring out new players who may have played, but chose for one reason or another not to play. The goal is to have 35 players between the varsity and JV team, with a solid 18 varsity players each year. The new era of Masterman is here now and we want to represent the school and the district with privilege and distinction.

Mr. Roache: I feel like the standard’s already been set. I feel like we’ve had a really strong program for the past 8 years or such. We’ve consistently been at the top, near the top, consistent in the playoffs, and I think a culture has been formed. This year it seemed like we weren't living up to that culture, but they took it into their hands to fix it. There’s an expectation, there’s a routine, so I think we expect success and to play at a certain level.

How big is the student support this year?

Mr. Roache: Oh, that's all the girls. I have nothing to do with it. They tell me they have the best Instagram account, and that I should follow them. I’m not on it, but from what I hear, they have a lot of fun with it. That’s something where it’s tough at Masterman. Basketball teams, volleyball teams, they play here in the gym, and kids have the opportunity to stay at the school and watch. But, we don't have a soccer field here, or baseball, or softball, so it’s tough to get fans out there. Anything that can bring about a little buzz at school, for any of our teams, is a good thing, and it seems like both teams have done a good job of that this year.

Coach Tyler: The new Instagram has been a big hit with lots of comments after each game and 180 something followers. My focus for next year is to expand the love for this team from just the team and get more of the student body to our games, which unfortunately has been lacking, in part due to how early the games are and the home field being a distance from the school. We have already added a boys and girls doubleheader game where the boys come to watch the girls and the girls stay to watch the boys. We expect to continue to grow the program hand-in-hand in the future.

Both coaches explained that the student support has really made a difference for the teams this year, and one student truly embodies the school spirit. Self-proclaimed “FC Masterman’s Number One Fan” Michael Fisher hasn’t been shy about his support for the club, even getting to spend time on the sideline with the boys. I asked him a few questions about the season and his view of the team going forward.

Talk about your involvement with the teams and how you got to that point. How were you able to get on the sideline with the boys?

I have a lot of friends on the team and I like soccer so naturally, I wanted to come out and support the team. My friends had an idea that I should get a post-game interview with Coach Weiss after the games, and that would get me a sideline “press pass” from Coach Weiss and Coach Geiger.

What’s your relationship with Coach Tyler like?

I don’t know Coach that well personally like the players on the team but we both are very passionate and what to see the team win. It’s a lot of fun to watch him get excited after wins.

What do you envision for the future of the team?

I think this team has a great future ahead of them with Coach Weiss. I envision a lot of winning seasons and Public League Championships.

To end the interviews, I asked Michael and both of the coaches to give their closing thoughts on the team and the season as a whole.

Michael: I’m extremely proud of my friends and the team this season. They went on a 4 game losing streak in the season and responded well. That shows the belief that the players have in each other and the system that Coach Weiss has implemented. I have a really good feeling going into the playoffs and I think we’re going to make a deep run.

Coach Tyler: My passion for this team and for what we can achieve is second to the potential that the boys see within themselves. They are no longer just happy being in the conversation, they want to be the sole focus and look back at their time with Masterman soccer with pride and being the first to win Public League and to win States. This is a good year to win them both and we would love to have as many people out to our playoff games. The boys need your support for all the playoff games! See you there!

Mr. Roache: My thought about this team is that I’m extremely proud. I'm just so proud of the way they contorted themselves, the way they play each game, the way that the girls who don't play as much support the team, their unity, and their effort. They’re a pleasure to be around, and I’m just so proud of the team.

There is a difference between the high-scoring victories of the girls’ team and the hard-fought overtime victories of the boys, but they both give us school pride. Soccer has never been a sport that both Masterman teams consistently dominate, but there is hope that this season can start a new norm of Masterman FC and public league championships going hand-in-hand (or rather, foot-in-foot). Follow the teams’ Instagram accounts, @fcmasterman and @ladydragons21, and go support our teams!

Pictures of the teams, from @fcmasterman and @ladydragons21 on Instagram

Update: The article was written before the playoffs began, and both teams advanced far into the playoffs. The girls played October 20 against Northeast in the senior game/quarterfinals, as they had a bye week entering the playoffs. They beat Northeast 6-0, and on October 22, they took a heartbreaking loss in the semifinals to Franklin Towne. It was a great run for them. They had a lot of fun during the public league season, and they still could advance to districts. I think we can all agree with Mr. Roache that we are proud of them for bringing excitement to soccer at Masterman.

The boys, however, are still playing after a series of close playoff games. They beat Bartram in the first round 2-1, and then Franklin Town 1-0 in the quarterfinals. They played October 21 against Central in the semis, and won in an intense penalty shootout 4-2. Their championship game is on Wednesday, October 27 at 5:30 at Northeast High School. Tell a friend, have them tell a friend, and let’s cheer on our boys as they look to win the Public League!