Junior from William Byrd makes impressions on soccer team

By Campbell Lake

            Jaime Dooley, a former William Byrd Terrier, arrived to be a huge asset to the varsity soccer squad.
            The Raiders, who are the No. 1 seed in the state, played an exhilarating match on Sept. 26 against the Eastern Mennonite Flames. The boys varsity soccer team dominated most of the game, however it resulted in their first tie of the season when the Flames netted a goal in the last minute of the match. The Raiders fought hard throughout two overtimes, but both defenses held their positions with vigor. The ending result was 2-2, after a long and tiresome battle.
            Dooley scored one of the two goals for the Raiders in the first 10 minutes of the game, with an assist by Christian Entleitner.
            "He had such a great goal," said Coach James Brown, who has been leading the soccer team to success for 10 years now.
            "Jaime has been quite the addition to the team, and has been leading in assists," Brown said. Dooley is currently ranked No. 1 in the state for assists with ##.
            "He fits in really well with the boys, and likes to share the ball, which is something we needed with the seniors that we graduated last year," said coach, reflecting on the loss of graduate Christopher Pollock ('14), who now plays soccer at Dickinson College.
            Coach Brown also noted that he sees potential in Dooley not only leading in assists, but even in goals as the season progresses.
            Dooley alternates between playing center-mid and striker for the varsity squad, which is the same position he played at his former school, William Byrd.
            "I like this team a lot better than my former team because we are much closer, like a family," Dooley said.
            Dooley has been infatuated with the sport since he was just 6 years old. He plays for the Roanoke Star club, and has been dedicated to the club for six years. Dooley wishes to continue his passion for soccer, as he plans to play in college, and even dreams of making it into the professional world.
            Dooley reflected on what he loves most about soccer.
"Everything,” he said. “The ball, the way it feels on your feet, everything."
            Teammates Brandon Campbell ('16) and Christian Entleitner ('15) are ecstatic about Dooley's skills and contributions to the team this year.
            "He is a great goal scorer and ball handler," Campbell said, “which is shown by his number one ranking in assists.”
            As a key defender on the varsity team, Campbell really appreciates Dooley's help as striker in their games.
            Entleitner had nothing but positive things to say about Dooley's personality, both on and off the field.
            "He's a great guy and a great student athlete," Entleitner said, “and has his heart in the right place.”