Students ran from the stands, lining up behind the 20 yard line, to watch junior Ian Simmons shoot a penalty kick in his last home soccer game. Yelling and cheering, the students awaited the kick. Simmons missed the shot, but that did not stop the cheers from the fans, as they were just happy to support and watch their friend play.

The JV2 boys soccer team hosted David Douglas in their last home match on Wednesday, Oct. 23, giving the team the perfect opportunity to honor junior Ian Simmons, a three year veteran of the JV2 team. 

As Simmons’ junior season was coming to a close, he knew that it would be his last, as Simmons knew he would not be able to reach the varsity level by next fall. To commemorate his last high school soccer game, Simmons created his very own junior night with the help of his teammates and friends. 

Simmons started the idea of making junior night, a replica of the traditional senior night, as a joke one day, but as more time passed and he spoke to more people, the idea began to become a plan. Simmons and his teammates printed off business cards to help get the word around to the students at La Salle. 

Students filled the stands supporting Simmons with posters and a big cut out of his face. They led cheers in support of their friend on the field. “My favorite part of the game was anytime he stopped a goal,” junior Jake Owens said. “We all went crazy and it was a ton of fun.” 

During the game, Simmons was playing goalie for a majority of the night, but in the last few minutes of the game he was put on the field. “My favorite part of the game is when Ian got to play on the field,” junior Olivia Pisaneschi said. “Not only were the students overjoyed but he was as well. There was a smile on everyone’s face.” 

Simmons said that he was surprised by how many people went out to support him, but junior Wade Nichols expected the large turnout. “Ian brings a very positive energy to everyone’s day and he deserved the respect of people coming out and supporting him,” Nichols said. 

While junior night got a lot of attention and turned a lot of heads, Simmons does not believe that it is a repeatable event. “I think most people will stick to the normal senior night but I think this was a once in a lifetime event,” Simmons said. 

Many would run from the idea of showing their entire school that they are on a JV2 team as a junior, but Simmons embraced the opportunity and made the best out of it. “This has been a sport that I’ve just wanted to [play] to have fun with a bunch of guys and this year’s team was the perfect group to do it,” Simmons said.