Blake Overbeck

PREPARING. Varsity coach Ra Del Hinckley (R) is strategizing with the team about their upcoming opponent Blue Springs. Hinckley is prepping the team with drills in practice leading up to the game. He believes this will help the players be their best selves. “We are most successful as a team when we pass and trap the ball really well,” Hinckley said. “So we’re hopefully gonna do a lot of passing and trapping drills.”

The Fort Osage boys soccer team is hoping to do something that hasn’t been done in seven years. They are working to progress into the second round of districts. Something that seems to slip through their fingers every season. All the hard work put in. All the hot days. All the successes and failures have led to this game.  A true underdog story.   

The Indians take on Blue Springs in the first round of districts at 4 p.m. Tue, Nov. 5.  The team finished the regular season with a 15-5 record and 11-3 in conference play.  Varsity coach Ra Del Hinckley believes that the team’s successes in the conference will prepare the players for a tough matchup.

“I think our conference successes are going to help us a lot.  I think we played in a lot of very close games against tough competition, and I think that’s going to carry over to Blue Springs because they’re a tough team and it’s going to be a close game,” Hinckley said. “I just have a feeling that one goal, maybe two is going to separate us, and so playing in a close game like we have all year, it’s gonna benefit us.” 

The Indians finished conference play on Mon, Oct. 28 with a 1-0 win over Platte County.  The last time the Indians progressed in districts, they also played and defeated Blue Springs with a score of 3-0, C-team coach Jack Tupinio was a player on that team. He feels that this could be a full circle moment and it would mean a lot.

“Honestly, it would mean everything. I’m ready to see the future of the program progress,” Tupinio said. “It’d be nice to get like a full circle.”

Since that victory in 2017 over Blue Springs, the Indians have been outscored 27-3 by various opponents in the first round. Tupinio thinks this year’s team plays better together and it will benefit them.

‘You guys are better teammates. You guys actually play better as a team,” Tupinio said. “Where we had a lot of just super, really good individual talent and we weren’t able to put it together, and I think you guys can go further with that.”

Senior Beck Snowden has been a captain for two of his four years being on Varsity. He has yet to progress in districts, but this year he has confidence in the team moving on.

“This is the best squad we’ve ever had progressing into districts,” Snowden said. “We work together as a team and we actually pass together.”

Snowden leads the team with 36 goals on the season. He accounts for 57.1% of the total goals scored. He thinks this season and experience in the game will prepare him for Tuesday.

“I’m always prepared,” Snowden said. “It’s a mental preparation and it’s been years of practice on the body to make yourself ready.”

The 15-5 Indians head to Blue Springs High School to take on the 9-7 Wildcats in the first round. A live stream of the game can be found and bought at MSHAA.TV