1 week Ago By Jacob Steinberg
Not many high school soccer goalies are four-year starters. Even fewer, have the opportunity to play their high school final game on a state championship stage. River Hill senior Zach Glass fits both categories.
The senior will be in goal when the Hawks play Mt. Hebron at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday at Loyola Maryland’s Ridley Athletic Complex for the Class 3A state championship. Glass spoke with the Howard County Times about his high school career and excitement ahead of Thursday’s game. This year has been a blessing.
Since my freshman year, I’ve seen drastic improvement throughout the years. For Coach to believe in me, especially my freshman, sophomore and junior year to put me in the position I am today, it’s changed me a lot as a person. Over time, team chemistry and getting to know these guys has helped so much along the road.
Especially being together since sophomore year, we’ve put together a great team over the years. We knew we would be good sophomore year. Then junior year, we knew we would be solid, but then this year it’s a whole another level of change and I’m so grateful for that.
I’d say it’s been super beneficial, putting together a great team with lots of chemistry. Knowing our weaknesses and our strengths, it has shown a lot throughout this state finals run we’ve had. To have this team and this opportunity is great.
It shows a lot about our character and our personalities. Our hard work, that we’re not going to give up just based on the three losses. We knew we had to do something and change something.
So, being able to push back and show everyone it’s not a fluke, to be able to show all these teams, three losses in a row, we can bounce back from this. We took away a lot from those games and to be to apply it into the state championship game and throughout the rest of the season, it meant a lot. It feels amazing.
We got told that we haven’t won a [state title] in 10 years. And we thought, ‘Wow, we could make history, this would be amazing.’ So, to have this opportunity and go into this game, knowing we could change the school’s history, it’d be amazing.
It’s once in a lifetime. It brings so much more excitement knowing that we know the team’s strengths, but also weaknesses. Also, we have film to look back on, so we don’t have to go off film from other teams.
We know how they play. So, being able to show how they play in the press and all the other aspects, it helps us so much. To be able to play against another Howard County team, it brings so much excitement and also brings bragging rights if we win.
I’m looking forward most to winning the game and make my parents proud. It’s something I’ve always been dreaming of since my freshman year to make the state championship game and win it. So, to be able to represent my school, my family and my classmates, to win a state championship and bring it home means the world to me.
Related Articles They’re super excited. Going into school knowing that we’re going to have a chance at the state championship, knowing that all these people, they’re probably going to come watch and wishing us good luck, it means everything. To be able to get texts every day, especially my coach from preexisting players that played on River Hill before, saying, ‘Good luck, make history.
’ It means a lot and just having all these fans and people that support us throughout the way is great. Oh, super, super, super nervous. I haven’t been on a bigger stage than this, so the nerves always kick in.
But I’m also going to feel excited, overwhelmed, honestly, because I’ve never been at an event this big. So, it’s something completely new for me. He’s telling us all about it that we shouldn’t be surprised if this or this happens.
He gave us a rundown on everything. He’s telling us, ‘This is just another game in the books. That it’s nothing new, just a game that’s on a different field with more fans and all this other excitement, but we just got to lock in and just think of it as one another game.
’ I would never believe it in a million years. I would jump up and down. It’s something I’ve always thought of, so making the dream happen this Thursday, final game ever, it’s the biggest game of my life for River Hill and it forever will be.
So, whatever uniform I’ve worn throughout the state run, which I have, especially regionals last year, I always keep that uniform on. The same exact cleats, same gloves because I know that’s good luck for me. So, to never change that and knowing that those things bring good luck, it’s shown a lot.
I have a particular playlist. It’s called car music. It’s just a bunch of random songs that get me hyped up.
I go through it and pick like six songs to get me through the bus ride. Then, when I’m off the bus I’ll probably listen to “Dreams and Nightmares” by Meek Mill to get me warmed up. After that, it’s barbeque chicken from there.
Easily, Richard Cheng. He is so funny. I’d say Charlie Gerber could definitely be a coach.
He knows a lot about soccer. He’s passionate about the game. He has a lot of drive.
He’s also a hard worker and he motivates the team to only get better but pushes them each day. DC United. I would say penalty kicks.
Everybody is up on their seats. They don’t know what is going to happen. It all comes to down penalty kickers.
So, if say, I made the game winning save, I get up, all my teammates, we’re all huddled up, we all jump up and down. Best way to win, all the fans are cheering because in a golden goal situation and regulation you don’t know what’s going to happen..
