A career that saw three consecutive division titles, three consecutive state tournament berths and numerous personal highlights came to a close with one more accolade.
As Mitch Strauss graduates from Bradford in the spring and leaves Parkway Field, he does so as the Big 30 Co-Player of the Year.
“The award means a lot to me. You have to put a lot of effort in to have this great of a season,” said Strauss, who was named Co-Player of the Year alongside Sam Edwards of Ellicottville.
The recognition and award game after a season that saw Strauss lead the Owls once again to another District 9 Class A championship, completing a three-peat that began in his sophomore year. The Owls ended their regular season at 9-9, moving into the postseason with a win over Clearfield and then DuBois for the 2023 title before being eliminated in the second round of the PIAA bracket.
Under new head coach Peter Butler, Strauss was the tip of the spear on the offensive side of the pitch, recording 26 goals in his senior season. Every night, he could be counted on for several goals with the help of his speed and control, the combination allowing him to weave through traffic to punch in scores.
However, while his ability to put the ball in the back of the net has been obvious for quite some time, Strauss also facilitated the ball to his teammates for 28 assists this season, tallying 63 through his career to break Bradford’s school record.
“Obviously it’s great to look at the stats and everything, all the goals that I’ve had, but the biggest accomplishment I have is my all-time assists record,” said Strauss. “I didn’t really think about it until this year, I didn’t even know what the record was, but I realized during the season I had a chance so I went for it.”
Achieving this level of success and having these sharpened skills comes with a lot of hard work on and off the soccer field, something former Owls head coach Wes Lohrman noticed from the first day he met Strauss.
“Since Mitch started playing for me three years ago, he’s just been one of those players that just eats, breathes and drinks soccer. He was always at the field early, he was at the field late. He gets involved with as many clubs as he can and literally plays year-round,” said Lohrman, who coached the Owls up until the end of the 2022 season. “He’s all in and it’s been fun watching him play.”
Strauss’s determination and ambition wasn’t limited to just the fall season. Over the past several years, when he was out of season for Bradford, Strauss would travel to be a part of Flash leagues in Erie, where he grew his game even more.
“You can only work for yourself. You can’t just wait around and hope everyone around you does what they can. You have to go out there and just do it for yourself sometimes,” said Strauss on his work ethic.
As his abilities grew, Strauss rose through the ranks of the Owls, eventually being named as a team captain in his junior year. While not always the most vocal on the field, he led by example, letting his game speak for him.
“For the younger guys, you just want them to see the emotion behind it. You want them to see that you can do what you want with this but you have to go for it. You can’t not give it your all,” said Strauss. “As for the other guys, I just decided I really wanted to win and I knew, with these guys, we could. So, I just gave everyone else what I could.”
While Strauss is continuing his soccer career into the next level — where exactly is still yet to be decided — he leaves Bradford as a key weapon in a multi-championship-winning program, a record-holder and award-winner and as someone who truly appreciated every day as an Owl.
“If I looked back, I would not think I would accomplish what I did. It was a big accomplishment to get this far,” said Strauss on reflecting on his high school soccer career. “It was amazing. It was the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
