Forward thinking has some big rewards
Severna Park senior Gus Bachmann showed versatility
Soccer was basically the sole focus for Gus Bachmann when he was in middle school. The Severna Park resident was playing yearround for the prestigious Baltimore Armour program and chasing around the black-andwhite ball was a nonstop pursuit.
“Before high school, soccer was pretty much my life. Up until the eighth grade, I thought I was going to go professional,” Bachmann said. “I thought that was the only career path for someone who was so immersed in the soccer life.”
That mindset changed, however, as Bachmann entered Severna Park High and realized he had other interests. He started playing basketball for the Falcons and was also a member of the Severna Park drama club that is best known for its Rock-N-Roll Revival show that has been held since 1989.
Bachmann still loved soccer, but the club circuit with its year-round demands was no longer as appealing. He made the very difficult decision to leave Armour and become a more well-rounded high school student.
“I was no longer willing to give so much of my time to soccer because there were other things I enjoyed doing,” said Bachmann, who agonized over the decision for weeks. “Ultimately, I think it was the right choice because I’m meeting all sorts of new people and expanding my horizons.”
That choice may have hurt Bachmann’s chances of earning a college scholarship but didn’t change the fact he was still a dominant high school player. He was a four-year varsity letterman and three-year starter for the Falcons.
Bachman capped an outstanding prep career by leading Severna Park to a 15-2-1 record and the Class 4A East Region championship this fall. The 6-foot-3 forward used his combination of size and skill to lead the Falcons with 12 goals and eight assists and has now been named Capital Gazette 2021 boys soccer Player of the Year.
“Gus is a game-changing type of player. Every team had to game plan how to stop him,” Severna Park coach Ryan Parisi said. “He’s not the type of player you can mark with just one defender. You always needed two or three defenders around Gus at all times to slow him down. He has too much power and physicality to be contained by a lone defender.”
Bachmann had the versatility to play up top in a true striker role or to drop back to the midfield, which made it more difficult for opponents to double him. Parisi described the standout scorer as “tall, rangy and athletic,” with a great understanding of how to use his big body as an advantage.
“Gus played a prominent role in a large percentage of our goal-scoring plays. He had a bunch of secondary assists,” Parisi said.
“Anytime a player is going to command two or three defenders it’s going to open opportunities for others.”
Bachmann totaled seven goals and five assists during the abbreviated 2021 spring season in which Severna Park went 5-0. He was the lone junior starter alongside 10 seniors. That meant the Falcons had 10 firsttime starters during this fall season, with Bachmann and co-captain Brandon Asch ensuring the perennially powerful program did not miss a beat.
“Gus transitioned into more of a leadership role this season and was very well respected by his teammates. Everyone knew coming into this season that this was Gus’s team,” Parisi said. “Gus is a fierce competitor who leads by example by working as hard in practice as he does during games.”
Severna Park suffered its lone regular-season loss on Oct. 1 against Broadneck, 3-2.
The Falcons and Bruins were supposed to meet in a rematch in the Anne Arundel County championship game, but the contest was suspended due to lightning.
Severna Park was able to avenge that loss in the Class 4A East Region II final with Bachman contributing an assist as part of a 2-0 victory over Broadneck.
Bachmann played for Broadneck coach Sean Tettemer for many years in the Green Hornets recreation program. Defender Zach Tettemer and forward Mikey Johnson were also members of that Green Hornets Heat team.
“Gus is a physically gifted player who has the versatility to play many different positions. He is a threat to score or create scoring opportunities at any time,” Sean Tettemer said. “He is unselfish, plays within his team’s system and compliments his teammates very well.”
Severna Park’s season came to an abrupt end in the state semifinals as what was described as a “fluke” goal gave Northwestern of Prince George’s County a 2-1 overtime victory.
“We had a great season, and it far exceeded my expectations. There was a lot of uncertainty going in because we lost so many seniors,” Bachmann said. “After the first couple of preseason games, I realized we had something special going as a team. All the seniors that didn’t play a lot during the spring season really stepped up as starters and were a big reason why we performed so well on the pitch.
“We meshed together really well, and I think the chemistry we had was better than any Severna Park team I’ve been on. We had so much camaraderie and everyone liked each other, which definitely contributed to our success.”
While winning the rematch with Broadneck
in the region final was a season highlight, one of the more memorable moments for Bachmann came when Severna Park beat South River in overtime. He won a 50-50 ball near midfield, beat a defender and then delivered a through pass forward to initiate the game-winning goal scored by Daniel Carey.
“It was the most fans I’ve ever seen for a home game. We had a great student section, and we had a raucous celebration with them after that golden goal,” said Bachmann, who was named first team All-State by the Maryland Soccer Coaches Association and All-Mid Atlantic Region by United Soccer Coaches.
Bachman has been described as a “holding” striker and takes pride in his passing ability. On throw-ins, Bachmann would set up with his back to the goal and receive the ball. Using his size and wingspan to shield the defender, he would hold the ball before delivering to a teammate on the wide side of the field.
“Gus definitely brings a presence to the field and creates a lot of chances for everyone else,” Asch said. “I think his back-to-thegoal style and ability to hold ball are kind of his trademarks. He has a great ability to settle the ball then lay it off to someone. He’s more of a playmaker rather than a true goal-scorer.”
During the winter sports season when basketball and Rock-N-Roll Revival overlap, Bachmann must work carefully with Severna Park coach Paul Pellicani and Drama Club leader Angela Germanos to sort out conflicts with practices and rehearsals.
“It’s a painstaking process to make it all work,” he said. “I couldn’t even imagine if I had to throw club soccer into all that.”
Bachmann has performed in Rock-and-Roll Revival all four years. He sang Rock and Roll Heaven by the Righteous Brothers as a duet with a friend as a freshman and was scheduled for a solo of Here We Go Again by White Snake as a sophomore before the show was canceled.
Rock-and-Roll Revival was a virtual show last year and Bachmann performed Fame by David Bowie. He recently was selected for this year’s show and will learn the musical number next year.
Bachmann, who boasts a 4.1 GPA, applied for early decision at American University and was accepted. He plans to pursue international studies with the goal of serving in the Peace Corps or working for the State Department. He has been in contact with American men’s soccer coach Zach Samol about possibly joining the program as a walk-on.