As the final whistle blew on a chilly October night in 2023, the Sharon Boys’ Soccer Team found solace at the end of a disappointing season. A 2–1 win over Stoughton that night meant the Eagles finished last year’s season with a record of two wins, twelve losses, and four ties. 

Just a year prior, the team had made it to the Round of 16 in the Division 2 State Tournament. However, this success was short-lived, and the Eagles finished the 2023 season in last place in the Hockomock Division. After the final game, Coach Nathan described the season as a series of “disappointing moments.” The Eagles had certainly experienced disappointments over the season: in one game, the team gave up a last-second goal to lose 1–2; in another, they surrendered a 2–0 advantage at halftime; and on another night, they let in 6 second-half goals after leading 1–0. 

Heading into the 2024 season, though, expectations were optimistic. The Eagles had many talented players and had only lost a couple of senior starters. Senior Koya Wilcox said he knew this year’s team would be special from the start. “Straight from tryouts… I noticed a lot of chemistry between the players and even the new underclassmen,” said Wilcox. 

It didn’t take long for the outcome of successful tryouts to translate onto the field. Just a week later, when the Eagles faced Quincy in a pre-season scrimmage, there was no holding back. Quincy, who had ranked near to Sharon in last year’s Division 2 power rankings, should have been an even match for the Eagles. This was not the case. A quick burst of goals at the beginning of the game, including a hat trick from Wilcox, led the Eagles to an 8–1 victory. 

The energy had shifted. As the regular season started, expectations were sky-high, with the Eagles rising to meet the moment. Their defense locked Stoughton up in the first game, and Sharon won 2–0. Their most impressive win was two games later against Canton, the team that had crushed the Eagles on senior night last year. This year, the Eagles marched into Canton for a highly anticipated night game and fought their way to a 2–1 win. As the season continued, the Eagles stayed on fire. They crushed KP 6–1, followed by Walpole 4–2 and Taunton 3–1.  

The Eagles’ undefeated streak ended at their game against Oliver Ames, the two-time defending state champions. The game was close, with a score of 0–1. Despite the loss, senior captain Maxwell Sheng cited this performance as the best game of the season. “We really brought more spirit and fight to the game,” Sheng explained. “Unfortunately, we didn’t come out with the result we wanted, but overall, I could see how our team has progressed so much and that we can hang with these guys.” For a team that had lost to Oliver Ames 0–5 the previous year, giving the defending state champions a fight was a great sign. 

Resilience has been vital this season for the Eagles. Just four days after their OA match, they defeated Attleboro, a team that had previously beaten them 0–4. They continued to impress and finished the season with a record of eleven wins, four losses, and three ties. Thanks to their success, the Eagles qualified for the Division 2 State Tournament for the second time in the past seven years. Battling hard against Bedford in the Round of 32, they fell 0–1 in a close game. Despite the loss, the Eagles’ remarkable turnaround this season, rising from a two-win team to a contender with 11 wins, demonstrates their hard work, dedication, and team spirit.

Sharon’s soccer schedule this year is available at https://arbiterlive.com/Teams/Schedule/5644656