CASTLE HAYNE, NC (WWAY)–If it feels like its been awhile since we’ve had high school sports, that’s because it has. It has been 174 days since the last high school game took place in the Cape Fear.

“It’s really great that we can just come out here, have something that feels the same,”says Southeastern Homeschool sophomore Davidson Good.

Thursday night that streak came to an end. The Southeastern Homeschool boys soccer team took the pitch against Southwest Wake Homeschool in Castle Hayne. It was a sigh of relief for the players and especially the seniors who thought they may have played their last game.

“We thought we weren’t going to be able to play and they finally let us play,”says Southeastern Homeschool senior Matthew Iandoli. “I’m just happy because it is my senior year and I’m getting to play. I thought I wasn’t going to.”

The coaches say it was a major hurdle to get where they are at now. They are not taking anything for granted when they step out onto the field every night, saying they’re doing their best to make the most of the opportunity.

“It was touch and go you know, then we got the word we would be playing,”says Southeastern Homeschool head soccer coach Ash Good.”We’re super excited about it and just really grateful to be able to come out and play. We get a chance to compete and we’re really grateful for the opponents coming down and giving us a chance to play against them.”

Southeastern Homeschool fell to Southwest Wake Homeschool on Thursday night 3-0, while every loss is hard to take, the joy still shined through as they were coming off of the field. The old saying goes “sports are more than just a game”. It was that and so much more for these kids on Thursday night.

“This game truly means a lot because I’ve been playing since I was three and
this is my favorite sport,”says Iandoli.”I’ve been playing my whole life and it just means a lot to me to get to play.”

More high school across the Cape Fear will start playing games next week. That includes Coastal Christian High School, Cape Fear Academy, and Wilmington Christian Academy.