On any Saturday morning in the spring and fall, the West Tisbury school fields are filled with kids playing soccer. The minikickers are up first, then the under-eights, under-tens and so on up the line. To stand and watch throughout the morning is to meet a large portion of the Island youth, and to watch them grow up, both in age and soccer experience. Youngsters who begin mostly intrigued with snack time and a seagull flying overhead, morph into goalies and forwards, defensive specialists and midfielders, all working together miraculously as a team.

This Saturday, many of these youngsters will head to Taunton to cheer on the high school boys’ soccer team as it plays in the south section division three title game. The winner moves on to the state semifinals.

While watching the high school team march through this year’s stupendous season, which shows no signs of stopping anytime soon, it is both hard and not so hard to look back in time to when these players were wee minikickers. For as huge and polished as they appear today ­— especially to the current crop of youngsters looking on with wide eyes, but also to the fans and parents who watch in awe — they too were once beginners on the West Tisbury field, back when a shin guard covered nearly an entire leg.

The current roster of seniors, of which there are many, has been together for over a decade, making bigger waves each year. They are not alone, of course, as underclassmen have played very key roles. But for the seniors this is their last run at the net as a team of Vineyarders.

There is a reason the book Friday Night Lights became so successful and spawned a movie and television series. Though it chronicled a different sport, the emotions are universal. When a community sees its children grow up to become role models of tenacity and teamwork it can’t help but swell with pride.

Good luck on Saturday boys. May the run continue.