NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- It's been a quarter-century since the Norview boys soccer team has been on this kind of roll. The Pilots are 8-0 entering Wednesday with no signs of slowing down.
So what set the tone for this success? A memorable victory over a cross-town rival didn't hurt, an opponent Norview always had its eye on topping.
"We beat Maury High School," Pilots' head coach Atherton Koolman said. "It's been about 25 years."
"I feel like we put Norview on the map, beating that team," added senior center midfielder Simon Bustillos.
"Throughout all the years, all the triumph, all the hard work really paid off," senior striker Keith Deloach noted. "Maury's always been a team that we tried the most against."
Now the Pilots are flying high after a bumpy few years. The squad finished 2023 with a 4-8 record, but one word sums up what's been working for the team this time around.
"Our motto of 'juntos,' together, 'siempre', forever," Deloach said.
"As the boys will say, we're always juntos, together in Spanish," added Koolman.
It's a motto that captures the make-up of the squad. Many backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures make up the team, but they all speak the common language of soccer.
"A lot of Spanish-speaking, a lot of English-speaking players that all come together and get the same thing done every night," Deloach said of his team.
"People don't speak English, people don't speak Spanish, but we all have an understanding once it comes down to the field and once we get to playing," added Bustillos.
It's a recipe that's been pitch perfect. Norview is winning like never before and it's boosted the atmosphere around the program.
"We're trying to stay as even-keeled as possible, but the guys, they sense it," Koolman said. "Everyone notices a tide change and an energy building around us."
"I feel like the team has become way more serious," Bustillos pointed out. "We see something in the team and we're just going to see how we can do with the team becoming more disciplined as we go on."
The hope is more positive results. Norview has never won a district or region title and has never earned a state tournament berth, but now the 2024 Pilots have a chance to take off and reach new heights.
"That's been a goal of ours and something that's never been achieved by Norview High School," Koolman said. "If you walk in that building, there are no banners for Norview boys soccer. We're trying to be the first ones to change that."
