Xavier Chanoine, a senior member and three-year captain of the Cheltenham High School soccer team, was recently featured by Suburban One Sports.

The biography includes the defensive center midfielder’s favorite athlete (Jalen Hurts), team (Philadelphia Eagles), music (rap), along with other fun facts about Chanoine, particularly his on- and off-field contributions to the program.

“It’s going to be a huge loss,” head coach Bill Tonkin said. “I’m trying to find some people to fill his shoes, but I don’t know if there is one person who is going to be able to fill his shoes. He’s a really, really good leader. He has been our captain since his sophomore year. He showed the ability, in his freshman year on the JV team, to just motivate his teammates. He can organize things and keep everybody together. He’s just a really positive person.”

The Panthers won two games in 2022 and managed a district playoff appearance last year, a feat which Chanoine expects to repeat this season. So far, the team is 6-4-1.

“Historically, Cheltenham soccer is just not very good,” Chanoine said. “Even though we lost in the first round, it was a very big leap for our program. It changed our mindset. Instead of just showing up, we expect to win. In the past, we almost expected to lose. Last year, and this year, we show up against really good teams and we expect to beat them.”

The full story is here.

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Photo: Suburban One Sports