Before the beginning of the 2026 boys’ soccer season, the Crestwood Red Devils will celebrate the history of the program by reviving the alumni boys’ soccer match on July 26 at Jack Lambert Stadium at 6:30 p.m.
“I am excited to be bringing it back,” Coach Amanda Parsons told The Weekly Villager on June 28. “It is going to be exciting for the boys and all of the alumni to be able bring this back.”
The celebratory match will pit Crestwood graduates of all years against the current Red Devil boys’ varsity squad. The second-year coach noted that Crestwood expects between 25-30 alumni to return to their old high school pitch.
It will be regulated as an ordinary varsity match, with two 40-minute periods with several opportunities for substitution for both teams. Admission price will be $5 for each attendee.
She added that the returning alumni will consist of graduates spanning from the 1999 class to recent graduates, including former goalkeeper Charlie Schweickert, former defensive midfielder Cooper Pausch, and former midfielder/forward Elijah Jurisch, who set the single season record in goals scored with 38 and the most assists, recording 24.
Parsons said that recruiting alumni for this event was made easier thanks to social media.
“That is a big thing, nowadays but back 10 years ago, social media wasn’t as prevalent as it is now,” she said. “It might have been a lot harder for them to get people to come out for these events. Now with social media, things can be spread a lot quicker and a lot further out. I think you can reach a lot more people in a shorter amount of time.”
According to Parsons, several current players will have the opportunity to compete against their siblings on the pitch but will also gain a deeper understanding and connection to the history of the Red Devil boys’ soccer program.
“It will show them that even after you are gone, you still have a home back at Crestwood,” she added. “We all are still a family here. We are all still here for each other. We are supporting each other. If you have been gone for one year, 10 years or 20 years, we are all still one big happy family and want the best for each other to support each other.”
The 2006 Crestwood graduate acknowledged that reviving the annual alumni soccer match was one of the priorities she discussed with when then-Athletic Director Troy Spiker when she was hired in the spring of 2025.
After completing her first full season as the boys’ varsity coach, Parsons rekindled her desire to bring back the alumni game, especially after receiving a message from a Crestwood alum that expressed interest about the return of the celebratory alumni match.
Unlike in the past, Parsons has added a competitive feel to the alumni event, with the Crestwood graduates facing the varsity squad.
“In the past, it was nothing special, it was a call your own call, they didn’t have anybody refereeing the game or anything like that. It was not too official and was more a get-together hangout, where this is going to be a little more official, put-together and organized,” Parsons said.
Parsons said while the event celebrates the history and future of Crestwood boys’ soccer, it can also raise the level of awareness of high school soccer in Mantua.
In addition to having the game being refereed, it will also be on the high school pitch. Parsons said she is trying to enlist the help of the school mascot to create an atmosphere that rivals the community excitement onFriday Night Football.
“We have the World Cup going on right now,” she noted. “People are a little more excited about soccer, bringing this alumni game back and hopefully getting more people in the stands for our games. That is really what the end game is, to get more excitement around the program, get more people in the stands, cheering and supporting the boys on and just all working together.”
Parsons said that the ultimate goal is to ensure that the alumni boys’ soccer match once again becomes an annual summer tradition for Crestwood High School.
