TALLAHASSEE, Fl. (WTXL) - Nothing beats the feeling of winning a State Championship, and nothing makes you want it more than making it and falling just short.
"You get a lot of people asking you if you're going to do it again this year," said Maclay senior Jordan Pichard, who won a State title with the Marauders in 2017, and settled for State Runner-up last season. "You get a lot of pressure for a three peat."
Three straight State title games wouldn't a bad way to go out, and on a young Marauder squad, Pichard is doing his part in leading them there.
"His effort and his thought process, his communication, he's positive, he's very, very demanding of his teammates," said head coach Andy Warner. "At the same time, he's very thoughtful about his teammates."
"All the same stuff that was passed down to me as I've been playing, I'm helping pass down to the younger kids," added Pichard. "Giving advice on the field, just taking advantage of being the senior on the field, just doing the best I can to make an impact there."
He's an impact on the field, thanks to his work in the classroom, as he balances a 4.22 GPA.
"I tell our student athletes number one, you don't want to get behind the curve development wise," said Warner. "A person worried about studies isn't going to give 100% on the sports field."
Pichard and this team are giving 100%. They want to get back to State, and bring home more hardware.
"Keep it on the same path that it's been on, I want people to go as far as they can, especially in soccer," he said. "I'm ready to go out with a bang in my senior year. Excited to see what we do."
Excited to keep that legacy going.
