The Staples boys’ varsity soccer team topped Westhill highschool in a thrilling 4-3 win on Sept. 19. The Wreckers saw themselves squander a 3-0 lead, leaving the game until forward Matthew Shackelford ’23 found a winner with just over two minutes left on the clock.

Despite conceding three goals in a 20 minute spell, the Wreckers were able to pick their heads up and secure their second win of the season as Shackelford fired the ball into the bottom right corner just outside the box to mark his second goal of the game. As the clock expired, the home crowd erupted as Shackelford ran toward the Staples bench in celebration, where he was embraced by a sea of blue.

“Lately, I haven’t been able to put those in the back of the net, but I have been watching my teammates pick up the slack for me and I felt like it was my turn to put one in,” Shackelford said. “I picked my head up, there was a lot of space and I hit it.” 

Also proving to be a decisive moment in the game was when Avery Mueller ’24 was able to slot in a well-crafted goal to extend Staples’ lead to 2-0, shortly after the halftime restart. The goal was assisted by Dylan Hoke ’24, who was also able to get on the scoresheet, scoring Staples’ first. The Junior duo of Hoke and Mueller both played the full 80 minutes, making them influential towards their team’s success.

“Dylan played a great ball and I am happy that I was able to get that finish off,” Mueller said. “It was a great goal and I am happy that it helped the team out.”

Both teams showed tremendous heart and persistence. Whether it was Westhill coming back from a three goal deficit, refusing to crumble, or Staples pushing for a winner despite their momentum having withered away, both sides showed their backbone.