With summer vacation over, its back to the books, and to the field for the local boys soccer teams

Wallkill
A new class means new rules, new faces and unfamiliar opponents for the Wallkill boys’ soccer team. For the Panthers, the key may lie in the familiar voices on the field and the teammates on the sideline.

Last year’s season ended with a Section 9 Class A quarterfinal loss to Beacon. Now, the Panthers move into Class AA, where they face a challenging slate that includes Cornwall, FDR, Minisink Valley, Warwick, Washingtonville, Valley Central and defending champion Goshen.

Wallkill played only one of those teams last season, falling 3-1 to Washingtonville, the eventual top seed in the Class AA tournament.

The Panthers will be without standout midfielder Chris Banegas, who will not play his senior year but will serve as team statistician. Nine first-year varsity players join the roster, including juniors Hayden Coulter, Alexander Rodriguez and Justin Devens in the midfield, forward Santiago Reyes, and sophomore goalkeeper David Flores. Also new are sophomores Daniel Flores, Brandon Avila and Keb Key, along with freshman defender Nathan deCastro.

They join a senior-heavy core, with nine upperclassmen returning — none with more experience than four-year varsity players Finnian Ross and captain Alexander deCastro. Ross anchors the back line in front of sophomore goalkeeper Geovanny Hernandez, while deCastro once again leads the Panthers’ pursuit of a Section 9 title.
Wallkill will also look to replace the presence of All-Section defender Edward Vargas and several others from last year’s playoff team.

Valley Central

Valley Central entered last season coming off a historic 2023 run, but with 13 seniors gone, the Vikings fell short of a return to the Class AA tournament.

This year, the program leans on another large senior class, led by midfielder Charles Quick, who steps into a central role. Junior Gavin Watkins also returns as a key contributor.

Quick and Watkins headline a roster that aims to build on lessons from last year’s group of leaders, including graduates Xavier Fonseca, Mason Stevens, Nathanael Gourdet, Lucas Daubel, Steven Kapnisakis and Nick Rubino.

With depth across the roster, the Vikings hope to channel that same energy into a postseason push.

Pine Bush
For Pine Bush, the connection between teammates extends off the field, where shared meals and time together have helped build a sense of unity.

After a down season a year ago, the Bushmen are focused on returning to the basics: finding space, passing, dribbling and working as a unit. Midfielder Nicholas Fermanian will play a central role in linking play and building that foundation.

The team is anchored by two vocal goalkeepers — senior Matt Webster and junior Gabe Durant — who provide leadership and structure from the back.

Pine Bush graduated 10 seniors last year, leaving holes in experience. But with captains Webster and Fermanian returning, and a mix of players across grade levels, the program hopes to blend individual skills into a cohesive squad.

At every level, Gittleman said, fundamentals will determine success. Each repetition in practice — from drills to passing sequences to ball control — is part of the process of rebuilding the program’s competitive edge.