On September 30th, the Southwest girls and boys soccer teams faced Washburn in highly anticipated rivalry matches for the city championship. The boys fought hard, resulting in a 4-4 draw, while the girls lost 1-0 in a heated and competitive game.

Earlier in the season, the Lakers tied Washburn 1-1 in a close match that left the entire stadium on the edge of their seats. This time around, the game was very physical; it felt like the sound of the whistle was constantly blowing. As Washburn was falling behind 3-1, they kept pressing and scored three unanswered goals in the second half to take a 4-3 lead. However, with 3 minutes left, freshman centerback Charlie Hitchin headed in an impressive goal off of a corner, tying the game. As the final whistle blew, the Southwest boys walked off the field, demonstrating their endurance and determination. The Southwest boys now hold a 4-3-6 record, while Washburn is at 3-4-4 after this game. Reflecting on his goal, Charlie Hitchin (‘29) said, “It was an adrenaline rush.” Hitchin is the only freshman on varsity, and he takes that with a lot of responsibility. “It’s definitely weird because sometimes you feel like you can’t tell older players what to do, but they’re really supportive of me, and it was really good to get a goal for them.”

Immediately following the boys’ game, the Lady Lakers took the field. In their last matchup for the Sylvester Cup, the girls lost 2-1 in another close contest, with the only goal scored by Kate Payton (‘26) on a penalty kick. The match quickly heated up, with both teams applying intense pressure and playing very physically. The Lakers’ defense remained strong, tracking down many long balls played through on the wings. Washburn’s strategy relied on playing deep balls to break through our defense. The Lakers continued to pressure the opposing defense, with many shots saved by the goalkeeper and one goal called offside. After a scoreless first half, Washburn’s tactics paid off when they scored their only goal in the 13th minute of the second half. The Lakers kept pressing and almost tied the game, but were thwarted by the keeper and Washburn’s back line. The match could have gone either way, but Washburn managed to put one in the net. Olive Mikkelson (‘27) said, “I thought it was a really close game the whole time. They came out with a half-decent goal. In the end, I thought we were the better team, but sometimes soccer can be unpredictable.” The Lakers now have a record of 9-3-3, and the Millers have a 7-6-1 record.