The Philipsburg-Osceola boys soccer team, which includes many West Branch students, put up a valiant effort in their last two games. Still, they ultimately fell short, losing to Central Martinsburg and Hollidaysburg by scores of 3-5 and 1-2, respectively. 

The PO team put up a courageous effort against conference rivals Central High School on Thursday, October 2nd, but it wasn’t enough to secure a victory. The PO team played a great game, but Central Martinsburg was simply too much to handle. West Branch senior Matt Thompson’s six saves were crucial in keeping PO in the game. However, it wasn’t enough to get ahead.  The final score was 3-5. These points came from Carson Long and Hunter McKinney. Long made two of the goals, while McKinney made one. Even with an unfortunate loss, the PO players were already looking ahead to their next game and determined to win.

On October 4th, PO faced another conference rival, Hollidaysburg. The team started strong with a goal from Evan Bock.  PO kept Hollidaysburg at bay for the first half of the game with the help of Matt Thomspon. He defended the PO goal by stopping six balls from entering the net. Hollidaysburg came back to life with two goals in the second half. PO pushed for an equalizer, but they couldn’t find the back of the net, and the final score was 2-1. The loss was disappointing for PO, but they are still in a good position to qualify for playoffs. These two losses make PO’s overall record of 7-4-1.

 The Booster Club President Crystal Vaughan said, “These guys play very well together. The new head coach and coaching staff have taken the team in a different direction and are having success with it.”  The PO soccer team has faced some challenges this season, but they are a talented team that is always giving their best effort. The PO soccer team will look to get back in the win column when they host a tough Penns Valley team on October 10th.