Warwick boys’ soccer captains each call Greenwood Lake home

The Warwick Valley High School boys’ varsity soccer team is on the playoff hunt this fall, and they are led by captains who both hail from Greenwood Lake — and it’s believed that this is the first time the team has had two leaders from the village.

Symon Roldan and Dylan Gjertsen are three-year veterans of the varsity team, which two years ago won the Section 9 championship in their Class AA division.

“My assistant coach Marco Barahona and I challenged the team during the summer league for someone to step up and lead the team in a positive direction,” said Denis O’Connor, Warwick varsity boys’ soccer coach. “It was clear to us that Symon and Dylan were the right choices to be named co-captains.”

Historical circumstances could have prevented their dual captaincy. For almost a century, the Greenwood Lake school district has not had a high school within its boundaries; as a result, students who live in the village have had the nomadic option of attending high schools outside the school district. Greenwood Lake students attended Monroe-Woodbury High School in Central Valley until 1981, when Monroe-Woodbury officials advised they could no longer take those students due to Monroe-Woodbury’s student census increase. George F. Baker High School in Tuxedo was the high school of choice from 1981 until about a decade ago, when the high school options became Chester Academy or Warwick Valley High School. O’Connor is glad both boys made the same choice.

“Symon is our starting central attacking midfielder (CAM) and is an excellent two-way player,” O’Connor said. “Dylan is the rare three-year starting goalkeeper. Both were members of the 2022 Section Championship team. Symon and Dylan have been vocal in a positive way, which is important to team success.”

Gjertsen often has double-digit saves during games, and Roldan is consistent in scoring goals for the team. While working and playing hard for Warwick Valley, both are proud of their home turf at the same time.

“Being a captain comes with significant responsibility, and we are excited to embrace the opportunity to lead our varsity team,” Roldan and Gjertsen said in a statement. “Our commitment to representing our hometown is strong, and we aim to inspire our teammates to work towards a successful season. Together, we will foster teamwork, communication and trust, creating a supportive environment for everyone.”

Overall, the team has done well this season, according to their coaches. “The boys’ team this year is very young,” O’Connor said. “We usually only start one or two seniors. As of Oct. 6, the team’s record is 6-6, so we are in the playoff hunt. We are working to make the team more consistent and to cut down on mistakes.”