A Season to remember: Juniata boys soccer makes history

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: March 30, 2019

MIFFLINTOWN – Looking back to the fall season, the Juniata boys soccer team had a season none of its predecessors ever had.

Though there has been many playoff appearances in the Indians’ past history, none of them have reached the threshold of greatness as far as the 2018 edition had.

“At the beginning of the year we like to set goals. But we like our goals to be smaller at the beginning of the year and as the year goes on to let it morph into getting a little bigger. Our number one goal, every practice, every game is we want to improve and we want to get better,” said Juniata coach Jared Byler. “If we can improve and get better every game the wins and losses have a way of sorting themselves out. We want to set realistic goals and see what direction they are going to go.”

Where it went and where the team went from the beginning to the end was for the right to battle in the title tilt.

It was a season for the ages as the group found itself playing for a District 6 title against none other than traditional soccer power Westminster Hilltop.

Despite falling in the title tilt 2-0, the group was not phased by its initial appearance in the big game.

The title game was played at St. Francis University in front of a big crowd.

“The season started out well for us. We won a couple in a row. Then you throw in a couple of losses but the guys continued to get better every game. As a team they started to set some lofty goal for themselves. One of those goals was to make a run to the district championship game,” Byler added. “I was very proud of those guys. As a coach I would never try to guide their thinking one was or the other. We let them talk and they said we wanted to make the district championship. Once we get there we will see what happens. This was the first Juniata team in boys’ soccer history to make a district championship game.”

The Indians went 13-7 overall and 9-5 in the Tri-Valley league’s Western Division.

The road to the playoffs started with an 8-0 win over Penn Cambria in the quarterfinals of the District 6 2A playoffs.

Juniata continued to sizzle offensively as it shut out Forrest Hills 7-0 to send the Indians into the battle with Westmont Hilltop.

And though the team got a taste of what it’s like to play in the big game, the Juniata kids will be ready to go there again and to hopefully become the first Juniata boys soccer champions, setting the bar for future Indian teams.