Tampa Prep soccer climbs national rankings

TAMPA, Fla. - The members of the Tampa Prep boys' soccer team aren't seeing red, but rather blonde. The entire team dyed their hair blonde in solidarity for the impending playoff run. 

"The first day of school (with the blonde hair) everybody was looking at me like a whole different person. My teacher didn't even recognize me," said junior center back David Hileman. 

The Terrapins hope, however, that their season ends, not with gold atop their heads, but with gold medals around their necks. 

"Obviously, the pinnacle of what we shoot for is a championship, a state championship," said head coach Doug Smith. 

After all, the Terps' last state title came just two years ago and is still fresh in the minds of the players. 

"Being able to go 21-0 was one of the most magical experiences I've been a part of," said senior midfielder Danny Alvarez. 

Sweeping their way to perfection in 2022, the Terps earned a state and national title. 

And that taste of perfection still drives the players on the team today. 

"Us winning two years ago, and if we can win this year again, I feel like that would solidify us as one of the best teams in Tampa. So, I definitely think it is motivation," said senior forward Asher Jones.

This team, meanwhile, has its own identity separate from the 2022 squad but is still receiving praise as the 10th-ranked team in the nation in some polls. 

"I want to make sure that we hold ourselves to that high standard but, at the same time, appreciate every moment where we succeed," said Smith. 

Now, with the Terrapins entering the regional tournament,  the pressure to perform builds game by game.

"It's in the back of our head that if we lose, we're going home," said Alvarez. 

What keeps this team going, however, is not the state title stars pinned above their school's crest, but the memories made while earning them. 

"Those memories will last a lifetime," said Smith.