CARMICHAEL, Calif. — Jesuit High School boys soccer isn’t used to losing. The Marauders have won eight consecutive Delta League Championships and haven’t tasted conference defeat in 15 years.

And that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. Despite graduating 10 seniors, it will see most of its goal scoring talent isn’t due to leave until next spring.

But there’s a lot of pressure on those returners. Though Jesuit cruised through an undefeated COVID-19 curtailed spring season, this is a team used to having to perform in tougher situations, in playoff matches when the stakes are admittedly higher.

Last time that happened, at least for some of this group, the Marauders faltered, losing in the state championship game.

They won’t plan on losing a game on that stage this year.

Back in 2019-20, Jesuit lost only one of its first 27 games. But on the 28th, when it mattered the most, the Marauders lost 3-1, falling victim to a prolific Montgomery team led by the 54 goals of Zach Batchelder.

While there is admittedly little shame in losing to one of the best goal scorers in the nation, Jesuit turned in one of its poorest performances on the season. It recorded its lowest shot total of the playoffs and played most of the game with nine men. It was an ugly end to a season that once showed bountiful promise.

Though most of that team has since left, a few faces remain. And while the Marauders don’t necessarily have the same star power, their ability to spread the scoring might make them an even more dangerous opponent.

Jesuit is led by the attacking tandem of Will Seargeant and Kaleb Afsari. The two are different players but form a formidable partnership. Seargeant is a pure goal scorer, having provided 16 goals in just 12 games in the spring.

Afsari, meanwhile, offers a different kind of threat. A deeper lying midfielder, the junior can break between the lines and dribble at opponents before picking a killer pass, often to Seargeant, who can beat defenders with his pace and physicality.

When the two are on the same page, the Marauders are difficult to beat.

There are, admittedly, questions about the Marauders at the opposite end of the pitch. Jerry Godfryd has graduated, assuming the starting keeper role at San Jose State, leaving Alejandro Rojas and Josh Dietz to compete for the starting spot. Though Oliver Black is a dominant defensive presence, the rest of the backline is yet to be fully fleshed out.

Still, there’s enough potential that Jesuit will be among the best again. And with a full season to play out, a few fresh faces to liven up the side and a sumptuous strike partnership to keep them scoring, that 28th game might turn out differently.

And that winning feeling could extend deep into the season.

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