The Clearwater Secondary School boy’s soccer team were triumphant last week when they battled to earn a spot to compete in the provincials which are being held Nov. 2 to 5 in Burnaby.
This will be the first time the CSS boy’s soccer team has ever made it this far! The team is extremely eager to represent their community. This is a young team made up of primarily players in Grades 8 to 10, as there are no Grade 11 players on the team and just a couple Grade 12 players. The CSS players are fortunate to have two positive captains leading their team: Corwin Schieck and Owen Sim. Corwin is new to town and has been a great addition as a positive attitude and the main goal-scorer on the team this year. Corwin is happy to have joined the CSS team, saying that his team “coming from different athletic backgrounds and a smaller school has really proven that hard work beats talent when talent isn’t working.”
The entire team would not have made it this far without their volunteer coaches, Barb Coates and Ryan Wilkes. Both Barb and Ryan are passionate soccer players and dedicated in their efforts to build a strong culture of soccer in the community. Any success is due to commitment, hard work and an individual who serves as a community champion. In our case, Ryan Wilkes is our champion.
Mr. Wilkes teaches Grade 7 at Raft River Elementary which makes his dedication to the students even more profound. Ryan hails from England where he played semi-professional soccer for Brandon United in North East England as a goal keeper. His experience, passion and enthusiasm for the sport is contagious, which is demonstrated by the CSS team.
The school, team and community is grateful to have Ryan’s leadership. He has given countless volunteer hours and because of his commitment, we are confident that CSS Raiders will bring their best game next week in competition.
The team has one week to raise $10,000. Watch around town for opportunities to make donations, show community support and pride for the team. Additionally, if you see Ryan Wilkes out and about, let him know that he is valued and appreciated for all that he does for our youth.
A shout out to the Barriere Secondary School boys soccer team, both CSS’ rival (whom we compete against in most sports) and partner (whom we compete with, like during Rugby season). The CSS and BSS boys played each other Friday morning, and the Barriere boys were down 3-0, meaning they wouldn’t make it to the next step.
They knew the Clearwater team was in for a tough fight against Immaculata High in the upcoming game - and the CSS boys had to win to make it through to provincials. With 20 minutes left, their coach pulled off his first line, and suggested CSS do the same, allowing our starters to rest ahead of their upcoming must-win game.
A hats off to coach Lowe and his team, class all the way.
newsroom@clearwatertimes.com
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