Davis is All-State

I'm a little behind posting this, my apologies, but here is the story we ran in the Chronicle on Dec. 20 about Peter Davis being named to the All-State team:

Peter Davis' senior soccer season at Elizabethtown Area High School was certainly one filled with memories.

There were some tough times – like starting out 0-2-1, losing a heartbreaker in double overtime in the Lancaster-Lebaanon League semifinals, losing another tough game in overtime in teh district Three playoffs and battling the entire season despite the Bears being depleted by injuries. But all of those things helped make davis one of the best players in the state of Pennsylvania.

"The big one that sticks out in my mind is losing captain Tyler Aldinger to a broken leg in the preseason," Davis said. "Our team still managed to become even more riddled with injuries. Although these were definitely a setback, they kept me focued on what had to be done this season."

Focused he was.

Despite the rash of injuries that struck the Bears, and defenses keying on Davis every game, he still managed to score 19 goals and dish out 12 assists in 19 games, which led to plenty of good memories.

There was the six-game win streak the Bears embarked on in the middle of the season. There was the three-game winning streak to close the season that clinched them a share of the Section Two crown, and the 2-1 win over Lancaster Mennonite in the L-L playoffs. And through it all, Davis was a constant when it came to terrorizing opposing defenses and goalkeepers.

His hard work was rewarded recently, and he received another good memory to add to his mental scrapbook, when he was named to the Pennsylvania All-State Team as a forward.

"It feels great to be named to the all-state team, especially when there were only three nominations sent out of the entire league," he said. "I know that I really wanted the honor that it was a possibility, but I didn't want to get my hopes up too high just in case it did not happen."

But it happened for Davis, who led the Bears to an 11-win season. Davis has been a key player for the Bears throughout his high school career, but took the next step this year to become a great player, mainly by improving his game from a mental standpoint.

"I really worked hard this year on improving my self discipline and with that, my game has been greatly affected," he said. "My skills have improved little when compared to the progress I have made mentally. Studying and just watching soccer more in-depth has made me a much smarter player."

Davis' improved mental game helpd make him a team leader this season as well – something the Bears certainly needed when it came ot the mountain of adversity the team had to overcome. But Davis stepped up to the challenge and guided his team to a great season, leading by example. He played hard all the time and never gave up, traits that the other players also possessed.

"I've heard a lot of different explanations for our success this season, but I think that it was our determination to make something positive out of all the injuries and mishaps that occurred," he said. "When things don't look like they're going to go your way, you have to do something to make them go your way and that takes a lot of heart and desire. The key in a team sport is working as a team, and the instant that one player pulls himself away from the team, everything falls apart."

In fact, Davis credits his teammates for his success as much as he does himself.

"Being a great player depends almost as much on your teammates as it does on yourself," he said.

When he wasn't busy tearing up soccer fields across the league, Davis was moonlighting as the kicker for the EAHS football team, and developed into a reliable player, connecting on field goals and extra points at a rapid pace for the high-scoring Bears.

Of course, all of that work causes bumps and bruises to build up, but Davis said that the school's trainer, Brandy Sweezy, was there to help him with a "countless number of ankle wraps and bags of ice."

Davis said he also became a better player because of EAHS head coach James Sostack and Celso Torrez, his club team coach. But, above his teammates, coaches and trainer, Davis gave credit to his parents.

"I would most of all like to thank my parnents for the endless support that could not have come from anywhere else," he said.

With his soccer scrapbook filled thanks to his latest accomplishment, Davis now turns his attention to the EAHS swim team, where he is a captain.

Time to fill another scrapbook with memories before moving on to the next challenge.