Clarke Central High School boys varsity soccer center back Donavon Acuna, a junior, dribbles down Death Valley during the Gladiators’ opening game against East Hall High School on Feb. 10. The 2025-26 boys varsity soccer season kicked off with the Gladiators’ 26-player roster beating EHHS with a final score of 1-0. “We’re a very talented team top to bottom. We’ve got players on our bench that will start for other (club) programs, so we’re fortunate in that aspect,” CCHS head boys varsity soccer coach Dr. Chris Aiken said. “The thing to work through for us will be finding who’s going to be that starting (11-person) unit and then which players are going to come off the bench and help supplement that unit.” Photo by Miriam Silk
With the CCHS boys varsity soccer team’s 2025-26 season having kicked off on Feb. 10, the team aims to build on its experienced roster.
With a lineup of returners and last-minute additions, the Clarke Center High School boys varsity soccer team is ready to take on the 2025-26 season.
After holding tryouts from Jan. 20-22, the team has begun practicing three to four times a week. The 2025-26 team is composed of seven seniors, 14 juniors, four sophomores and one freshman, a roster CCHS head boys varsity soccer coach Dr. Chris Aiken is confident in.
“One thing that will be a change (is that) last season, we relied very heavily on (CCHS boys varsity soccer striker and junior) Henry Payne to generate the majority of our offense,” Aiken said. “This year, we’ve got multiple players that can score, which will create problems for the opponents and create more free space to operate in.”
“Going into the season, we (are) feeling very confident. We’ve had a lot of different potential puzzle pieces align at the last second.”
— Dr. Chris Aiken,
CCHS head boys varsity soccer coach
Recently, Payne returned from his NASA Elite Clubs National League team in Atlanta, rejoining the Gladiators alongside CCHS boys varsity soccer center back Will Hicks, a senior, who forwent his Major League Soccer Next spring season to play with CCHS. Additionally, CCHS boys varsity soccer center back Donavon Acuna, a junior, was cleared to return to the field on Feb. 6 after injuring his ACL in March of 2025.
“Going into the season, we (are) feeling very confident. We’ve had a lot of different potential puzzle pieces align at the last second,” Aiken said. “(We) picked up three top-tier players right before the season started. So, we’re very excited and (the) sky’s the limit for this team.”
In the team’s season opener on Feb. 10, the Gladiators beat East Hall High School with a final score of 1-0. Looking to their first Georgia High School Association Region 8 5-AAAAA game on Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m. against Winder-Barrow High School, CCHS boys varsity soccer center midfielder Heinkel Mejia, a senior, is confident in the team’s ability to win.
“We have a lot of new assets this year and (I) am excited for the future games and practices,” Mejia said. “(I’m) excited to play in big games like (our first region game). We have a lot of potential to be a great team.”
