Suffolk News-Herald

&uot;Great!&uot;

&uot;Fabulous!&uot;

&uot;Chimbumba a livio, a lavao, santos, santos, rah, rah, rah!&uot;

Any and all of these words were used to describe the best Nansemond-Suffolk Academy soccer season in nearly a decade Sunday evening, as the varsity and junior varsity squads gathered in the cafeteria to look back at a year that sent both teams to the TCIS playoffs.

&uot;We welcome you to the close of a great soccer season,&uot; said Patrick Whalen, who made the first All-TCIS team for the second time last season. Whalen helped the older Saints to a 11-5 record – their finest since 1996 – and third place in the TCIS tournament.

&uot;Even though there were some situations that we encountered during the season that jeopardized our hard work,&uot; said coach Francisco Sanin, &uot;we overcame them as a team and in the end we were successful. There were some who contributed their skills while others showed their spirit through words and encouragement that made us smile.&uot; The aforementioned &uot;chimbumba&uot; chant, shouted by the team before each game, has no literal meaning; it’s simply fun to say.

Whalen got the team’s Most Valuable Player award, while Bennett Hart and Aksh Patel got Coach’s Awards. Daniel Curran (another First All-TCIS selection) and Travis McGee received special awards for their work.

Before the season, the junior varsity squad set several goals for themselves. By the time the banquet rolled around, said coach Mike Curry, they’d met the self-imposed demands.

&uot;The first was to make it to the TCIS tournament, which we did,&uot; said Curry. &uot;That was quite an accomplishment.

&uot;Last year, we went 50-50,&uot; he said. &uot;Our goal was to have a winning record, and we did, both in the regular season and in TCIS play.

&uot;We’re finally making the NSA soccer program a real program,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s not just one aspect; their hearts and attitudes were right, and that’s what makes me most proud.&uot; Cameron Boone and Robert Winslow received Coach’s awards, while Adam Nash was the Most Valuable Player.