Homer Mariners conquered Seward and Skyview this weekend with ease, allowing junior varsity players an opportunity for varsity playing time. Homer will be seeded first in the South Division for Regions in Wasilla on Memorial Weekend thanks to their impressive 10-1 season win-to-loss ratio. 

Coach of seven years, Warren Waldorf says the team is on a roll and with their almost flawless record he hopes they can get a loss, if it were to happen, out of the way.

Mariners won 8-0 on Friday against Seward, with scoring from Flynn Bloom, Drew Brown, Jake Worsfold, Mario Glosser, Fillip Reutov and Quinn Alward. Any offensive breaks for Seward seemed to be cut short, and Homer offense dominated.

Waldorf said some JV players had never played a varsity game.

Homer triumphed 8-0 against Skyview on Saturday, with Brown, a sophomore, scoring a hat-trick.

“It was the first of the season, and first of my career,” said Brown, also commenting on team cohesion. “The team is playing well together since we’ve been playing with each other for a few years. The team passes well, and obviously finishes well. We also have great foreign exchange students who add a lot.”

Exchange students Sebastian Talamas of Bolivia and Max Mangue of Mozambique both stated that playing on the Mariners soccer team felt natural and they were welcomed by their teammates. 

“The team let us in easily,” said Mangue. “It was easy to jump in.”

There was a senior ceremony before the boys’ last home game of the season that acknowledged seniors Daugharty, Brian Rowe, Joshua Vantrease, Kaec Brinster, Kaveh Anderson, Glosser, John Walsworth, Worsfold, Logan Reveil, Talamas and Mangue

Mariners won Thursday against Kenai with a penalty kick, maintaining the 1-0 lead until the end of the game.

The JVteam tied with Kodiak, and a final score of 2-2. Anderson scored both Homer goals.

Shannon Reid is a freelance writer who lives in Homer.