The sun is at its highest. As sweat rolls off the foreheads of exhausted players, the team sprints around the corner of the field, pushing themselves to midfield, where they slow to a jog for half a lap before the sprinting starts again.

Pre-season boys’ soccer practice is not for the faint of heart. With fitness training led by new assistant coach Jason Allen, the varsity team worked to get ready for their first official game on Aug. 26 (scores were unavailable at press time).

Allen, ‘95, son of former music teacher Barbara Lazar, played soccer all four years in high school and has returned to assist athletic director Matt Vargo in coaching the boys’ soccer team.

After graduating from high school, Allen continued his soccer career at Sonoma State, where he played varsity soccer and club volleyball.

Later, Allen attended Sacramento State University, playing varsity volleyball and running varsity track.

He returned to Country Day in 2001 to assist former soccer coach Tibor Pelle.

Allen has been teaching for nine years, and currently teaches fifth grade at James McKee Elementary.

“The general idea is I will be helping out with smaller groups and individuals while Matt oversees the whole practice,” Allen said.

In practice, Allen does the drills alongside the players and scrimmages with the team.

Although there was a varsity and junior varsity team last year, with only eight to nine freshmen and sophomores showing up for practice, there will be no junior varsity this year, according to Vargo.

Thus, all freshmen and sophomores will play varsity, bringing the number of players to about 26.

“Some of the players may be upset with the size of the team because of playing time, but the best players are going to be put out on the field,” senior Trevor Sutley said.

In the first scrimmage those “best players” included two freshman starters, Erik Morfin-Ruiz and Keegan Crain.

“It makes us stronger to play with the big guys,” Morfin-Ruiz said.

And with so many substitutes, the team has depth in their bench.

After making it to the section championship game last season, Vargo has very high expectations for this year.

“I am going to experiment with a few different formations than based on the strengths of this year’s team,” Vargo said.

In the first scrimmage Vargo ran different variations of a four-four-two formation: four defenders, four midfielders, and two forwards.