The Fourth of July celebration in Warren is centered around the parade and the fireworks, but the weekend kicked off a little differently for some of the soccer players and families in town.

The Warren boys and girls soccer teams hosted their annual alumni game this past Friday at War Memorial Field in front of a large crowd.

A tradition like no other, the boys game has been an annual summer highlight since its inauguration in 1995, making this the 32nd edition of the event. Former Warren boys head coach Mark Evans started this unique game over 30 years ago as part of Warren’s 1995 Bicentennial Celebration, and it is still going strong to this day. The alumni were victorious in both games, as the girls won 7-4, with the boys earning a hard-fought 4-2 win.

“As a coach, it’s special to see the support our players get from the community and our alumni,” Warren head coach Steffen Blair reflected. “We had 25 alumni participate this year, from the Class of 2004 all the way through to our recent graduates. I think that says a lot about the impact this program has. The Warren soccer bond runs deep, and it’s always great to see that on display.”