With posters around the school and balloons on the field, Rock Bridge was surrounded with Bruin spirit and set for the girls soccer team’s  Senior Night on Wednesday, May 9.
Following the final junior varsity game v. Moberly (16-6-1), where RBHS (11-5) won 6-0, JV and varsity created a tunnel in the middle of the field while the seniors were recognized for there accomplishments and achievements. Each senior got to walk with their parents and received flowers and a gift.
When it was time for the game to begin, the starting line up was called. Each senior was in the starting line up, including Kenzie Jacoby and Anna Alioto, both of whom were injured during the season.
Prior to the game, coach Anne Felts shared with the team an article Moberly had in their paper explaining how enthused the Spartans were to beat the Bruins on the senior night. This got the girls soccer team’s attention and ready for the game ahead.
“I think we were all pretty nervous before the game because we heard they’d been having a really good season,” junior Kate Hulen said.
When the game was underway, each team came on strong beginning to string together a few passes, but RBHS was able to do it better.
“We really stepped up and showed what a great team we’ve become,” Hulen said. “We moved the ball really quickly and made good passes to each other.”
With more of the possession, and more urgency the girls started to pull ahead. The first goal came from senior Alyssa Fancher, inthe first half.
“It got us going and pumped to play,” Fancher said. “Plus, since it was senior night and a senior scored it just made us want to play for each other and our seniors even more.”
Going into half, the Bruins were up 3-0, with seniors Lexi Bumby and Carmen Bosseen scoring. This had made each senior offensive player score. However, the girls were not satisfied or ready to be done with the game; they knew they had more goals yet to score.
Moberly came out strong after half time trying to claw their way back in, but the Bruins were resultant, and maintained a shut out while adding four more goals, coming from sophomore Bree Dobbins, juniors Morgan Bumby, Olivia Mends, and Boessen’s second goal.
“It felt good to dominate the entire game because it was senior night and we actually had fans,” Bobbins said.
With the final score 7-0, the bruins had finished their regular season with a win and looked towards districts. But first there was a banquet to attend. This was a place for parents and players get together to eat and seniors and parents could speak.
Coaches, parents, and seniors were given a chance to speak, even a sibling got up to talk.
“I think the funniest part was when Anna’s dad said she kicked the cat or [junior] Morgan[Bumby] trying to give a speech,” Dobbins said.
Coach Mark Vandover talked about the seniors and picked on Anna Allioto like he had done all four years she had played for him. Vandover described some of his thoughts about the seniors when he first saw them and wondered, ‘Will thy ever be strong enough, fast enough to play varsity? Everyone was short and slow.’ This had seemed to be his phrase throughout the years, but at the dinner he explained the growth and development that had occurred.
The moment every girl in the room was brought to tears was when junior Morgan Bumby tried to talk about her love for her sister.
“I was surprised when nobody cried on the field, but then when everybody started giving speeches at dinner I knew things were going to get emotional,” Bumby said. “That’s always one of my favorite parts, just hearing what everyone has to say and seeing how it really touched every person.
After all the crying was over pictures were taken and the night’s activities had finished, through the game and dinner the team was connected.
“It was way better than I ever imagined it to be,” senior Brett Fuller said. “Hearing parents and teammates talk was amazing and I feel like we got closer just through this game and night all together.”