Junior Will Phillips is no stranger to good soccer; he has been the varsity goalie since his freshman year. In each of his first two years, the Bulldogs fell short of reaching the state tournament, but this year looks to be different for the the team. “We have a very high chance of making state,” he said, “We just have to stay confident, and keep working hard.”

During the summer prior to this school year, the Dawgs showed signs that this team had something special. Under the club name North Platte United Extreme, a team comprised of all North Platte High School Players took the field at the State Games of America in Omaha. The Dawgs played stellar defense over the two day tournament and took home first place. The team hopes that the performance in Omaha will be a microcosm of this season.

The Dawgs have started the season right, with a 2-1 overtime victory over the fourth-ranked Grand Island Islanders, a 6-0 pummeling of the Gering Bulldogs, and a 2-1 double-overtime victory over Lincoln High.”

“We have only a couple tough games this season. We get Kearney, Lexington, and Southeast at home, and those would all be big wins,” Phillips said. The team goal for the season is to be playing their best ball by districts, secure a one-seed, and host. “We play our best at home,” he said.
Phillips says that the team is particularly strong in the middle. “[Seniors] David Mata, Rashawn Bryant, and [sophomore] Malik Lillard are our starters, and [junior] Levi Wilson and [sophomore] Josh Cauffman are our backups, we control the middle well, and that is a key to why we play so well,” he said.
For Phillips, the goal of making state is good, but there is another, more personal mark that he is shooting for, “The record for most shutouts in a season is eight, and we already have one. Also, the most shutouts for a goalie in a career is eight, and I currently have five,” he said. The team had 4 shutouts last season, and wants to build on that for this year.

The team has a distinct philosophy this season, three words, “Brotherhood, Desire, and Swagger. It means we have to come into practices and games as family; we have to come together to win together. We have to want every game, and coach says we have to play in the moment, we can’t worry about past games or past calls, or who we have to play next, we have to focus on now,” Phillips said.
As for the last word, Phillips admitted that he wasn’t sure how he felt about it, but he now really loves it. “It’s about confidence. It’s about knowing you have what it takes to get everything done,” he said.
The team has several tough games in a short period of time. Phillips marked Southeast and Lexington as two of their toughest games. The Dawgs took on Lexington last night at home, and go head to head against Southeast at Madison Middle School tonight at 5:45, so come out and support the Dawgs. Also mark your calendars for Tuesday, April 19 against Kearney; it’s at home on the turf, and the team would love your support during the rivalry matchup.