Second-year Co-Captain Ellis Denby ’24 is one of Andover Boys Soccer’s most critical players, serving as both a vocal leader and dominant midfielder. Playing soccer since the age five, Denby has become a leading goal-scorer at Andover and is flexible in his positions.
As a Co-Captain, Denby often sets the tone in practice. Goalkeeper Jack Alexander ’25 described how Denby has the ability to go from a friendly conversation to being locked-in on the game in no time.
“Denby can switch on and off from serious mode to not. It’s really apparent during warm-ups when we’re only messing around and having fun and then switch to doing drills. Denby immediately sets the tone and will be on you if you’re not playing at the level he knows you can or should be,” said Alexander.
In addition, Denby frequently provides support for individual members of the team. Striker Kai Myles ’27, the youngest member of the team, appreciated the support and guidance he received from Denby, helping him transition into a new school environment.
“Ellis has always assured me that I am a good player. He has assured me that some things will go wrong because of what happens in life and in soccer, but no matter what he tells me to keep my head up and keep going as we need all of us in this team to win,” said Myles.
According to Denby, his improvement in keeping a cool head is one of his proudest feats. He continues to work on this aspect with the team as well, hoping to instill resilience and confidence in his teammates.
“One thing I’ve improved on is dealing with frustration. In recent years, I have let frustration affect my playing a lot, and it is something that I’ve been working on. I think mental toughness is really important and I believe I have become more resilient and not let setbacks in the game determine the outcome. As a team, I think that we have all gotten better at this,” said Denby.
On the pitch, Denby is a wizard with the ball. Spencer Madge ’25 emphasized Denby’s ability to keep possession while dribbling. His high level of play on the field combined with his hard work serves as a testament to his dedication to the sport and his team.
“He has improved his ability to shield the ball and strength to hold opponents off the ball a lot since I met him my [Junior] year. His leadership skills have also grown a lot over the years, he has realized and grown into his responsibilities for the team and has only benefited the team more each year,” said Madge.
Additionally, Denby excels at putting the ball in the back of the net. In this season’s game against Choate, Denby was able to score two goals. Myles commented on Denby’s highlights.
“The best goal from Ellis was probably the goal from the Choate game. He hit one off a volley, and the connection and the sound were simply sweet. If you were there to see it and witness it, it was simply an amazing volley from outside the box,” said Myles.
On the defensive end, Denby has shown an ability to step up when called upon. Last season, with key defenders out, Denby stepped up for Andover.
“For a few games, Denby had to drop to center back because one of our center backs was injured. He played calm in this new position that demanded highly. I immediately gained tons of respect for him, as being a goalie someone that can fill that role without a hitch creates a sense of safety among the back line,” said Alexander.
This season, Denby hopes to utilize his improved scoring to help lead Andover to the playoffs. With a few new additions to a familiar roster, Denby is looking forward to seeing the team’s full potential.
Denby said, “My goals for this team this year are to make the playoffs and go far into the playoffs. Last season we felt a bit snubbed and didn’t make it into the playoffs. This year we have a lot of Seniors and a lot of experience, and we have also filled some holes that we had last year. I have really high hopes for the season, and I think we can go really far. Individually, I would really like to score more than I have in recent years. Last year, I only had about five goals, and I felt I could’ve scored more. This year, I already have ten and I am hoping to continue to be a prolific goal scorer and help the team in that way.”
