Zenbarn soccer team tops Reeves Tournament

Oct. 2, 2021  |  By Waterbury Roundabout

Zenbarn soccer champions. Standing left to right: Wellington Newton, Clint Carrick, Stephen LaRock, James Secor, Rick Scharf, Loren Thompson, Jon Wagner, Noah Fishman. Front row, left to right: Emily Hough, Brendan Coyne, Marq Winslow, Noah Derman, Life Legeros, Matt LaRocca. Courtesy photo

For the second year in a row, Zenbarn's soccer team in the Central Vermont Soccer League took top honors in the annual Matt Reeves memorial soccer tournament held last weekend in Bethel. The event raised over $800 for its student-athlete college scholarship fund. 

Matthew Reeves was a 1995 graduate of Whitcomb High School in Bethel. Courtesy photo

Now in its 26th year, the tournament has honored Matthew Reeves, a 1995 graduate of Whitcomb High School who died of cancer before he started at Hamilton College where he was to continue his soccer career. 

“It was his wish that we start a scholarship for graduating seniors going on to college,” said Janine Reeves, Matthew’s mom, in an email to Waterbury Roundabout. “He made sure we used money he had been setting aside for college to start the fund.”

An outpouring of donations started off the fund which has awarded a scholarship of $500-$1,000 each year since. Teams participating in the soccer tournament raise money for the fund. 

In addition to Zenbarn, three other teams participated this year: Salt Hill Pub from Hanover, N.H., a  Norwich University club team, and the Central Vermont league team from Chelsea, which has taken part every year of the tournament, Reeves said.