Sebastian Rosas (‘28) claimed the Bishop’s Boys’ Varsity Soccer team “isn’t nervous at all” about playing a division up for their league opener. On Hunte Field on Wednesday, January 7th, it took less than 120 seconds to prove that he wasn’t bluffing.

The sun beat down as students, parents, and teachers dotted the sidelines in anticipation of the first home and league game of the 2026 season. The matchup was between the Knights and The Preuss School, a Division III team. This means that the Knights were playing a division up from their Division IV position. 

Regardless, the players stepped onto the field with confidence. Sebastian, the starting right winger, said he was “excited to score” before the game. Whether the team would be able to walk off the pitch with a first-season win, the next 80 minutes would tell. 

At 3:09 p.m., the referee blew his whistle, and with the crisp pass by Max Nguyen (‘28) that sliced through the artificial turf, the Knights kicked off their season. The team adopted an aggressive spirit that the fans reflected from the sidelines. Maroon shirts swarmed the opponent’s half of the field within seconds, pushing for an early goal. 

In just over two minutes, Marcos Montoya (‘27), in his Bishop’s debut, pounced on a Preuss defender’s mistake and, in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, slipped the ball through the keeper’s legs, finding the net and awarding Bishop’s their first goal. 

The fans erupted with jubilant cries at the staggeringly quick lead. Noah Orland (‘28) noted he was “surprised we’ve scored already.” The team, however, walked back to their side calmly, a remarkable coolness under the glaring sun. 

Preuss, in an attempt to catch the Knights off guard, launched a shot from half-field right after their kickoff, but goalkeeper Lachlan Yerbury (‘28) effortlessly caught the ball and placed Bishop’s right back in control for around 10 minutes. 

For Ryan Guerrero (‘28), an inexperienced viewer, soccer is “more calming and casual,” compared to “an intense indoor game where it’s a little smaller, and people are more compressed.” 

The lull didn’t last for long, though, as Bishop’s took many opportunities, including a free kick from Marcos, a driving run by Max, and Captain Connor Gutierrez’s (‘26) signature throw-ins, which fans recognized, and eagerly yelled out, “long throw!” The team looked fluid, with the Knights midfielders running laps around their Preuss counterparts. 

Mrs. Emily Smith, History Teacher and mother of Noah Smith (‘28), a player on the team, watched eagerly. Mrs. Smith said that being the mother of a student-athlete is “delightful,” and that having home games like this makes it “convenient for [her] to come watch him play.” 

More enthusiasts and casual viewers sprawled across the touchlines, now covered in the ever-extending shadow of the lowering sun. Just as hoodies were thrown on and jackets zipped up, Captain Gustav Westlake (‘26) scored the Knights’ second goal with a curling shot that deflected off a Preuss defender and landed in the top left netting of the goal. In contrast with the scoreboard, which took five minutes to update, the growing congregation of fans wasted no time in their celebrations, roaring with applause and jumping up from the warm bleachers.

Just five minutes later, Gustav doubled his record with a goal from a free kick to put the Knights up three goals to zero with 10 minutes remaining in the half. To extend their lead even further, midfielder Evan Hamadeh (‘26) scored off a corner. 

As halftime loomed, a defensive miscommunication in the Bishop’s back line gave Preuss a breakaway goal to lighten the away team’s spirits and make the score 4-1 for Bishop’s. Fans seemed more concerned than the home team did, as the maroon players held their composed demeanor. Bishop’s reorganized their formation, untroubled, signaling to both the viewers and the opposing team that they were still in control. 

Shortly after, the ref blew his whistle to signal the end of the first 40-minute period. 

Though the scoreboard remained frozen due to technical glitches, the Knights didn’t miss a beat when they returned to the pitch, carrying over the confidence and control developed in the first 40 minutes.

“I think it’s probably good for morale to get a win for the first game,” said Nora Bitar (‘25), a Bishop’s alumna and former Varsity Girls’ soccer player, when asked about the importance of the league opener. “The league is when it starts to really ramp up.” The Knights seemed to take that sentiment to heart, moving the ball with a level of urgency that suggested they were hungry for more than just a three-goal cushion.

The intensity was rewarded at the six-minute mark. After a foul near the edge of the box, the Knights earned a free kick. While the Preuss defenders were still trying to organize their wall, Gustav showcased the veteran awareness of a team captain: he opted for a sudden strike, skipping a low-driven ball into the bottom-right corner of the net. 

The clever piece of situational recognition secured Gustav’s hat trick and pushed the lead to 5-1. Nora, impressed by the nature of the play, observed that the energy remained high: “Everyone’s involved in the game, and they’re winning by a lot, so it’s a fun atmosphere.”

As the clouds turned dusty pink and the match progressed into the final thirty minutes, the play became increasingly passionate. Preuss began to play with a more aggressive edge to close the gap, but the Bishop’s midfield and back line remained a fortress. 

Jose Leon (‘28), a player on the Junior Varsity team, watched closely, noting, “I think this season, from what I’ve seen so far, is going to be a better one, especially now because of the depth the team has.”

That cohesion was revealed in another highlight of the evening, about halfway through the second half. Marcos, who later described the effort as “a really good boost to push all of us through,” took control of the ball near the center circle, solidifying his role as the game’s primary architect. 

He waited for the defense to overcommit with a risky tackle before passing the ball directly into the path of Sebastian. Sebastian didn’t hesitate. He rolled the ball into the back of the net and brought the score to 6-1, making good on his earlier excitement. Reflecting on the performance, Marcos noted, “A big win is definitely a standard we have to set.” 

With the game firmly under control, the Knights shifted their focus to defensive lockdown. The backline showed a level of communication and discipline that left Preuss attackers frustrated, preserving the five-goal lead until the final whistle. 

The post-game celebrations were filled with high expectations for the months ahead. Kellan McDougal (‘27) reflected on the win as an opportunity for the team to continue building. “I think we played really well and cohesive as a team. We’re really starting to build those foundational blocks that we’re going to have to use throughout the rest of the season.”

For the Knights, the 6-1 victory was the perfect opening statement. They had played a division up and dominated, proving that their preseason confidence was well-founded. 

Marcos’s final assessment of the team’s spirit rang true as the players left the field: they had “definitely brought up the level,” and were ready to “kick butt in the rest of the league.”