Different styles suit different teams.
Last year, it was advantageous for Christ School to sit back and play a more defensive-minded brand of soccer. Now with almost everyone back from 2021, the Greenies are ready, willing, and able to flip the script in a major way.
“I like what all the returning guys bring to the culture of the team. The biggest thing with so many guys coming back is we’re going to change our style of play, change our identity,” Coach Guy Campbell ’00 said.
“Hopefully our identity this year will be creating opportunities and scoring goals. I still think we’re going to be able to bring defense to the table because of our experience, but we’re going to try and go forward more with the ball on the ground, and we should be able to find some success in the final third with creating quality opportunities. If you’re a parent or a Greenie fan, come out or watch one of the livestreams and I think they’ll enjoy the style of soccer that is being played.”
Christ School’s varsity schedule for 2022 has been released and includes 10 home games, starting with the season opener Aug. 16 vs. Charlotte Country Day.
The team was 9-9 and 5-3 in the Carolinas Athletic Association last fall, sweeping home and away series with Asheville School and Carolina Day. CAA champion Rabun Gap went on to win the NCISAA 4-A state championship.
“We try to do the schedule the same way every year, to put us in a position to compete for a top-four seed in the playoffs,” Coach Campbell said.
“If we do well with this schedule, we should have a chance to win the conference again, but also put us in position for a top-four playoff seed which would mean two byes. Two byes late in the year could be huge for us.”
Carter Compton ’24 (four goals, three assists) is a returning all-state midfielder and was joined on last year’s All-CAA team by Brendan Regan ’24 (four goals, one assist) and Jackson Knoll ’23 (one goal, four assists).
The team got much of its scoring punch last year from Truett Compton ’25 (six goals, seven assists) and Ethan Rose ’24 (seven goals, two assists). Goalkeepers Ben Yang ’24 (85) and Caleb McClellan ’23 (26) combined to make more than 100 saves and six of Christ School’s wins were shutouts.
Last season's team did not have any seniors. Basti Guder '23 could only attend Christ School for one year through the ASSIST program and has returned to his home country of Germany.