Mouth of the River

The 2026 Oyster River High School (ORHS) boys’ soccer team is in the midst of a season that some would call a comeback year after an almost historic season.  Fans are packing the stands, refs are making the calls, and the players are displaying what Bobcat pride looks like on the soccer field. 

The ORHS boys’ soccer team is currently 2-2-1 in the first 5 games of the 2026 season. After last year’s undefeated team had a season ending loss in the semifinals, the Bobcats – a dominant Division II soccer program – look to make it beyond that this year. With the first year varsity players, the team has needed all hands on deck to make this goal possible. With the chemistry, culture, and work ethic, the Bobcats work to earn a state title for the 2026 season.   

After losing 13 seniors, the 2026 Bobcats have been playing this season with a whole new look after needing to change the lineups from the now graduated players. “We look for players who think the game; that make the right decision based on the scenario in front of them,” varsity coach Jake Baver says while adding, “You look for basic soccer skills, and beyond that, athletic ability is what you look for.”  

Being a fairly young team, the rising sophomores and juniors have adjusted well to the higher-level play of varsity in their first few games. “We’ve had to replace the majority of our starting lineup,” Baver mentioned. “Luckily, this is a very coachable group, so with that, it doesn’t really feel like we have these massive holes to fill that the past seniors left,” he says. Returning player Grayson Ahn (‘29) says, “They’ve all stepped up big,” while adding, “they’re making a great difference on and off the field.” 

Being a frequent fan in the last two seasons, Brendan Conlon (‘28) stated, “I feel like on the team now, they have a lot of young talent. All the sophomores look really good, same with juniors and seniors, you really can’t go wrong.” Conlon adds, “Even though we are a smaller school and soccer team in general, it’s important to show [our spirit].” Adler Lozano (‘28) says, “That encouragement from the fans, especially knowing that if you make a big play, you can celebrate it. It feels very good for everybody.” 

Transitioning from summer training into the 2026 season, Lozano, a first-year varsity player, talked a little bit about his excitement of bouncing back from last year, “the first thing in my mind was trying to get back to the semifinals and win,” he said. “We would work on game environments and sharpen up our skills [in the preseason] for the different sides, offensively and defensively.” Lozano was called up to the varsity team from Junior Varsity (JV) last year for the playoffs; he notes that having such an opportunity was helpful for developing his skills and confidence. “As a JV player, varsity was always the goal, especially with that good team they had,” Lozano explained.  

Ahn and Owen Mazza (‘27) believe strongly that this year’s vibe surpasses the vibe of last year’s team. Mazza says, “I feel like this team does have the confidence and chemistry that last year’s team was lacking.” Mazza additionally mentioned that a lot of the juniors and seniors this year have been playing together since the early middle school days. Baver backs this up by stating, “The fact that we are so team oriented makes us really dangerous.”  

Baver additionally mentioned that everyone on the team trusts each other, “if anyone is struggling, they have a coaching staff to rely on, but I also think they can trust the seniors that are present,” he said. Now back on the field after an injury that lasted the duration of his junior season, Mazza takes on a role of leadership that he is proud to have. He says, “Seeing all the other captains that I’ve had who have been such great leaders, I’m just trying to give the younger kids what those guys gave to me.” 

ORHS Athletic Director Andy Lathrop mentions how he often can see how a team is doing early in the season. “I was blown away at how explosive offensively we are,” Lathrop says. Lathrop also adds that both coaches Danny Watson and Baver are doing a good job of “creating the culture that they want,” which can set the team up for success on and off the field.  

The 2025 team had strong talent to go all the way. In terms of the semifinals loss, Baver said that the team felt prepared for the game. “I would describe it as difficult, but not the end of the world,” he says, then continuing to reflect on the loss by adding, “We were more skilled than them, however soccer isn’t entirely about skill,” Baver concludes. 

But the Bobcats have put that loss behind them and are pushing for a positive run and hoping to get back to where they know they can be. 

When asked about how the team’s situation corresponds with Bobcat culture, Conlon notes, “It really shows our pride.” The future of the Bobcats boys’ soccer program is looking bright, and the goals remain the same every single season. “The goal is to win, like most teams. But aside from that, just the connections and having fun with the team, that’s the best part,” Lozano concludes. 

The Bobcats take on Lebanon Friday night on the ORHS turf at 7pm to continue their path to the end goal: A state championship.

Visuals courtesy of Lindsey Paquette

– Mason Meyrowitz