VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (WAVY) — It was a year of firsts for the Kellam Knights Boys Varsity Soccer team. Last season, they went 21-0, won their first ever State Championship, and finished the season ranked by Maxpreps as the #3 team in the nation.
Today is a different day for the team, but they’re still off to a strong start. Opening the first 6 games at 4-1-1, Kellam has had to adapt to losing nine starters from last year’s Class 6 State Championship squad.
Led by Sophomore, JaShaun Johnson, who scored the game-winning goal in last year’s title game as a freshman, he said this team still has the tools to do something special and make a late run into the postseason.
“I know we did lose every starter besides me but this year I still feel really confident we can go to states, regionals, all that,” said Johnson
The Kellam Girls Varsity soccer team has started this year off nearly perfect, with a record of 6-0-1. Last year, the Knights fell in the Class 6 State Quarterfinals, which is an abnormally early exit for this group.
But the different between this year’s group and last year’s is the amount of experience that came back into the fold. Kellam has 10 seniors on its roster. One of those being Captain, Avery Spell, who’s coming back from a torn ACL from 2023.
She said she’s played with this group since she was a kid, and it would mean the most to lift a trophy with them at their healthiest this season.
“That would be so much fun.. Last year, I was the manager, so I didn’t play. It would feel like a nice way to close out the high school experience,” said Spell.
Both teams will play Green Run at home on Friday, April 12. The Girls kickoff at 4:15, while the Boys kickoff at 7 p.m.