Defending Berks champ Oley Valley has big dreams for 2020

Twice a week during the summer, some of Oley Valley’s boys soccer players kicked it around on their turf field.

They talked about what they might accomplish this fall. They worried they might never get the chance.

Those days were fun and competitive. The losing team had to run sprints or maybe buy donuts.

“We’ve been playing together since we were really little,” forward Alex LaVerdure said. “It’s our senior year. We wanted to play. Now that we’re here, we’re going to make the most of it.”

Maybe that’s why practice felt so intense Thursday night. Oley’s worries have faded as high school sports have begun in spite of the coronavirus pandemic.

What’s ahead for the Lynx is a rare opportunity to wrap their arms around a dream.

Oley is the defending county champion and most of its starting lineup remains together. The pieces are in place to repeat. And more.

Three All-Berks players return. LaVerdure, a four-year starter, scored 17 goals last season. Matt Knowles anchored a stingy defense that posted 17 shutouts. Goalie Evan Solley was the difference maker in the victory over Gov. Mifflin in the Berks final.

That’s just the beginning. The roster is ridiculously deep and experienced, particularly for a Class 2A school.

“Everyone has been telling us, ‘You guys have a chance of a lifetime,’ “Knowles said. “We’re trying not to think about it. We’re trying to focus on doing what we did last year. Win each game and that will put us where we need to be.”

One of the biggest dangers facing Oley’s players is believing their own hype. Repeating is hard. The seniors went through it when they were freshmen.

The Lynx had most of their team back in 2017 as defending county champs. They didn’t go back-to-back, although they did reach the District 3 final and PIAA semis.

“You can’t expect that other teams are just going to lay down for you,” coach Shawn Meals said. “That’s another reason why the intensity is here. I don’t want them getting lax. Resting on your laurels is not a recipe for success.”

All this group of players knows is success. They went 18-3-1 last season and outscored their opponents 75-13. No one in Berks allowed fewer goals.

Solley said this group of seniors has played together “since we could walk.” They’ve lifted their share of trophies over the years.

“There were a lot of undefeated seasons back then,” Solley said. “Throughout middle school we were always winning games. I’m not dissing on the competition but we’ve been a powerhouse ever since we were little.”

Oley’s goals are larger this season. The Lynx already have climbed the Berks mountain. They want to see what’s beyond.

For what seemed like forever, the year 1972 loomed over the program. That was erased when the 2016 team ended a 44-year county championship drought.

Now the year 1993 is in sight. That’s the only time Oley won a district title. The Lynx have never won a state title.

Oley is operating on a different level and expectations have been adjusted accordingly.

“Any program that starts having success, I think it inspires the younger groups,” Meals said. “There’s just more enthusiasm. There’s that sense of pride. It starts with our youth league and filters up.”

Some obstacles have been removed in District 3. Fleetwood, the Class 2A champ, is now in 3A. Lancaster Mennonite, always a roadblock, is in 1A.

On the flip side, the margin for error has never been smaller. Only four teams qualify for districts and Oley must compete in newlook Berks III. It features Tulpehocken and Wyomissing and is arguably the best division in the league.

Many of these seniors were there when Oley’s 2017 run fell two wins short of a PIAA crown. If they weren’t on the field, they were watching.

“Even though I wasn’t playing it was an awesome experience to be around them,” Solley said. “Once they lost, to see them cry and know the season was over, I don’t want that to happen to us during our senior season.”

The chance of a lifetime is here. Oley doesn’t want to let it slip away.