Mehki Stewart (9) made Varsity Soccer this year. It is his first year ever playing the sport.  

Coach Bob Brotherton said, “Mehki made varsity because he was one of the top 20 players that tried out. Mehki’s athleticism and work traits caught my eye, not his skills.”  

Not only does Coach Brotherton recognize his grit, but so do his teammates. Senior Captain, Jaylin Hunter (12), recognizes Stewart’s value to the team. 

“I feel like he earned his spot on varsity and that he makes a good fit for the team. For him, playing for the first time, he’s pretty good and could have a lot of potential at it if he keeps playing soccer.”

Being one of the two freshmen on the varsity team is a new feeling for Stewart.

“It kinda feels different because I’m the youngest on the team, and it makes me feel like I really need to continue with soccer,” Stewart said. 

He feels pressure from his team to do his best, but he knows that he can achieve whatever he puts his mind to. Although he tried his best at the first practice, he doesn’t remember much about besides the heat.

 “It was very hot. I tried my hardest to do what I had to do for my first practice,” he said.

After the first few practices with the team, the first game of the season was coming up and he felt ready for it.

“I wasn’t very excited or scared because I already knew most of the players. My first game we played at Soldan High School vs Biomedicine Science. I played striker and it was fun, but [there was] a lot of running and that was tiring,”  Stewart stated, but yet he finished the game strong. “I was very confident about my game.”

Even though he feels pressure from his team, he pushes himself and knows that this is what he wants to play. Being the youngest on the team made him feel like an outsider at first, but now he is flourishing with his teammates and they are dominating the field.