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10/21/2021 12:00 AMLast year, Guilford boys’ soccer Head Coach Curtis Gullette handed the reins of the team’s starting goalkeeper position to Justin Hess as a sophomore. Justin seized the opportunity to play net for the Grizzlies and hasn’t looked back since.
Justin is now a junior who’s leading the Guilford boys’ soccer team as a captain this season. Justin and company are faring quite well as the Grizzlies have a record of 8-2-2 on the year.
Justin has been playing soccer since preschool. Justin was introduced to the sport by his older brother John, who was a midfielder for Guilford, and he quickly developed a passion for the pitch.
“As he was practicing his shooting, I was tending the goal,” Justin says of his brother. “I love the sport, playing and training year-round, and have been fortunate to develop friendships along the way, many going back to grammar school, with those players that are some of our key contributors to our high school soccer program now.”
So far this season, Justin has recorded six shutouts and made 66 saves, while only allowing seven goals. Justin has major aspirations for the Grizzlies as they enter the home stretch of their campaign.
“I have high expectations for the season,” says Justin. “My mindset going into every game is to win, and I hope we finish the regular season with strong performances and translate that into postseason success in the SCC and state tournaments.”
Before he was named the starting goalie, Justin served as the backup keeper in his freshman year. Justin got his first opportunity to play varsity when starter John Kosh was dealing with an injury, and he helped the team claim a 2-1 win versus Amity.
“I was called in to start the Amity game when our senior keeper was recovering from an injury. Two field starters from the defensive line were also unable to play that game,” Justin says. “Our team rallied for two goals to gain the lead and fought an onslaught of attacks from Amity as we got late into the game. I needed to make some key saves in the final minutes, and we left with the win. It was then that I felt I could compete at the varsity level.”
Coach Gullette describes Justin as a natural in the net. However, Gullette says that Justin’s ability to read the game and lead the team is what separates the junior from other goalkeepers.
“Justin is able to take those reads and position himself to make last-minute reaction saves look ordinary. There is an ease to the way it looks like he plays, though he has a fiery mindset behind that look,” says Gullette. “Both on and off the field, Justin is a vocal leader. He commands great things from his teammates and makes his high expectations known. The boys trust Justin to lead them day in and day out. All in all, Justin is our most consistent and reliable player, and we are glad he is a part of the Guilford boys’ soccer team.”
Justin has formed a great relationship with Coach Gullette throughout his time in the program. Justin appreciates how Gullette serves as a tremendous resource for both him and his teammates.
“He is very approachable, so it is very easy to talk to him about all aspects of the game. He encourages innovation in our approach to the game, inspiring creative play on offense, while remaining disciplined on defense,” Justin says of Gullette. “Coach Gullette has been very supportive of our players as he oversees tactical plans to align with player’s strengths. I’ve learned a lot about the game from Coach Gullette and appreciate that he is constantly thinking about opportunities for us to improve.”
On top of soccer, Justin is also a member of the Guilford boys’ basketball team. In his sophomore season, Justin, a guard, averaged 14.5 points per game and shot 80 percent from the free throw line on his way to earning All-SCC East Division honors for Head Coach Jeff DeMaio’s club.
Justin feels just as enthusiastic about playing basketball as he does soccer and enjoys holding a much different role on the court than he does on the field.
“Coach DeMaio provided me with a chance to prove myself during my sophomore year as a starter for the varsity team. Personally, it feels good to be able to contribute to an offense, driving to the hoop and scoring points, which I can’t do from the goalkeeper’s box while I’m on the pitch,” says Justin. “I look forward to contributing to the team this upcoming year. We have a solid returning group of basketball players that should allow us to play competitively in a talented conference.”