Soccer Kicking Things Off Saturday
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Another fall sport, soccer, will get under way Saturday when all three area teams have action in jamborees.
WARSAW BOYS
Tiger coach Corey Rose, like most in the preseason, doesn't know what kind of team he has this year. He does, however, know what kind of talent he has, and that has him optimistic about the upcoming season.
Warsaw will have six seniors this season, four of whom return from last year and two that were injured all of last season. Add to that two juniors who played on the Olympic Developmental squad in the summer and it has the makings of a good mix for the Tigers.
The seniors back from last year are Ben Knoop, Jeremiah Wallen, Nate Kroegel and Jon Earhart.
Knoop, Whallen and Kroegel were all named to last year's Academic All-State team last year and will be the tri-captains this year.
Returning after missing all of the 1995 season with injuries will be John Baugher and Robert Lee.
Juniors Matt Brown and Bret Dickerson tuned up this summer by playing on the Olympic Developmental squad.
Rose, though, is not ready to say how good this team will be except that they should be better than last year's 9-10 team.
"It is real up in the air right now," Rose said. "We have a lot of talent. It is just finding the right places, positions, chemistry to work together.
"We had a lot of talent last year, just a lot of youth, too, ' Rose said. "I think a year of maturity is going to help out a lot. We have a little more defined roles, we had to fill in some rookies last year because of the two that were out with injuries. We have a veteran team this year. It is going to be a positive and better season than last year. It still could go either way. The competition will be stiff out there."
The first few games of the season for the Tigers will give them a real test and a measuring stick to see exactly where they are.
"Our first five games are against top-20 caliber teams," Rose said. "We don't get a break."
Warsaw opens things up Saturday at the Columbia City Jamboree at 7:30 p.m.
WARSAW GIRLS
The Tigers performed above a typical first-year program last year, going 5-5 and playing several experienced teams tough.
With that experience, Warsaw coach Brent Wildman is hoping it doesn't cause his team to be overconfident and think it will be easier in year two, especially with a tougher schedule this year.
"Being a second-year team there is a lot more skill here, but we have a much tougher schedule," Wildman said. "It will be a real challenge.
"They have higher expectations for themselves," he said. "But that can also have an adverse effect. They are going to find they played well last year because they played with intensity. They may rely more this year on skill and not play with as much individual intensity, and that could be overall damaging."
The Tigers are still a young team, with most of the talent based in the sophomore and junior classes.
"We have a lot of returning players, but very few seniors," Wildman said. "The team will be able to play good soccer. It is too early to see what kind of style we will play. Being a young team, we are still waiting to see what direction they will evolve to."
Changes this year include a jump to 12 regular season matches, a nine-game junior varsity slate, a jamboree and no competition versus JV programs for the varsity.
Leading veterans back for the Tigers include: goalie Sarah Barber, Bobbi Wildman, Christi Simpson and Kim Cowan.
"We are expecting to be a more balanced team where last year we were strictly a defense team," Wildman said. "We hope to be a little stronger in the scoring column this year."
Warsaw kicks off its schedule with the Columbia City Jamboree Saturday at 5 p.m.
WAWASEE BOYS
SYRACUSE - Second-year coach Paul Boyd is not going through the adjustment period that accompanied his rookie season in 1995, but with a relatively young team this year, he still expects some growing pains.
"We are going to be a young team again," Boyd said. "Of the 40-plus players, 28 of them are freshman and sophomores. That goes along with the program, it is a very young program."
In his first year, Wawasee finished 7-10 and tied for fourth in the Northern Lakes Conference. With the year of coaching experience under his belt, Boyd is not taking any chances with his young squad and playing things slowly in the preseason this year.
"We have been working on basic skills," Boyd said. "It has been like a camp.
"We are very fast, which is exciting," he said. "Speed can make up for mistakes. All we have been working on is fundamentals. They came into the season in good physical condition, which is better than last year where we started from the beginning. I feel we are ahead of that."
Among the Warriors' veterans is goalie Rob Pinney, who was named the team Most Valuable Player and honorable mention All-NLC last year.
"That is a good place to nucleus your team around," Boyd said.
Other returnees include: Nico Ioannou, Jeff Nelson, Ora Freeman, Richard Moore, Matt Stump, Jay Haugh, Jerod Galloway and Chad Wortinger.
"I think we will be competitive," Boyd said. "Hopefully when the teams come up against us will be overconfident."
Wawasee will open the season up Saturday at the Westview Jamboree at 6 p.m. [[In-content Ad]]
Another fall sport, soccer, will get under way Saturday when all three area teams have action in jamborees.
WARSAW BOYS
Tiger coach Corey Rose, like most in the preseason, doesn't know what kind of team he has this year. He does, however, know what kind of talent he has, and that has him optimistic about the upcoming season.
Warsaw will have six seniors this season, four of whom return from last year and two that were injured all of last season. Add to that two juniors who played on the Olympic Developmental squad in the summer and it has the makings of a good mix for the Tigers.
The seniors back from last year are Ben Knoop, Jeremiah Wallen, Nate Kroegel and Jon Earhart.
Knoop, Whallen and Kroegel were all named to last year's Academic All-State team last year and will be the tri-captains this year.
Returning after missing all of the 1995 season with injuries will be John Baugher and Robert Lee.
Juniors Matt Brown and Bret Dickerson tuned up this summer by playing on the Olympic Developmental squad.
Rose, though, is not ready to say how good this team will be except that they should be better than last year's 9-10 team.
"It is real up in the air right now," Rose said. "We have a lot of talent. It is just finding the right places, positions, chemistry to work together.
"We had a lot of talent last year, just a lot of youth, too, ' Rose said. "I think a year of maturity is going to help out a lot. We have a little more defined roles, we had to fill in some rookies last year because of the two that were out with injuries. We have a veteran team this year. It is going to be a positive and better season than last year. It still could go either way. The competition will be stiff out there."
The first few games of the season for the Tigers will give them a real test and a measuring stick to see exactly where they are.
"Our first five games are against top-20 caliber teams," Rose said. "We don't get a break."
Warsaw opens things up Saturday at the Columbia City Jamboree at 7:30 p.m.
WARSAW GIRLS
The Tigers performed above a typical first-year program last year, going 5-5 and playing several experienced teams tough.
With that experience, Warsaw coach Brent Wildman is hoping it doesn't cause his team to be overconfident and think it will be easier in year two, especially with a tougher schedule this year.
"Being a second-year team there is a lot more skill here, but we have a much tougher schedule," Wildman said. "It will be a real challenge.
"They have higher expectations for themselves," he said. "But that can also have an adverse effect. They are going to find they played well last year because they played with intensity. They may rely more this year on skill and not play with as much individual intensity, and that could be overall damaging."
The Tigers are still a young team, with most of the talent based in the sophomore and junior classes.
"We have a lot of returning players, but very few seniors," Wildman said. "The team will be able to play good soccer. It is too early to see what kind of style we will play. Being a young team, we are still waiting to see what direction they will evolve to."
Changes this year include a jump to 12 regular season matches, a nine-game junior varsity slate, a jamboree and no competition versus JV programs for the varsity.
Leading veterans back for the Tigers include: goalie Sarah Barber, Bobbi Wildman, Christi Simpson and Kim Cowan.
"We are expecting to be a more balanced team where last year we were strictly a defense team," Wildman said. "We hope to be a little stronger in the scoring column this year."
Warsaw kicks off its schedule with the Columbia City Jamboree Saturday at 5 p.m.
WAWASEE BOYS
SYRACUSE - Second-year coach Paul Boyd is not going through the adjustment period that accompanied his rookie season in 1995, but with a relatively young team this year, he still expects some growing pains.
"We are going to be a young team again," Boyd said. "Of the 40-plus players, 28 of them are freshman and sophomores. That goes along with the program, it is a very young program."
In his first year, Wawasee finished 7-10 and tied for fourth in the Northern Lakes Conference. With the year of coaching experience under his belt, Boyd is not taking any chances with his young squad and playing things slowly in the preseason this year.
"We have been working on basic skills," Boyd said. "It has been like a camp.
"We are very fast, which is exciting," he said. "Speed can make up for mistakes. All we have been working on is fundamentals. They came into the season in good physical condition, which is better than last year where we started from the beginning. I feel we are ahead of that."
Among the Warriors' veterans is goalie Rob Pinney, who was named the team Most Valuable Player and honorable mention All-NLC last year.
"That is a good place to nucleus your team around," Boyd said.
Other returnees include: Nico Ioannou, Jeff Nelson, Ora Freeman, Richard Moore, Matt Stump, Jay Haugh, Jerod Galloway and Chad Wortinger.
"I think we will be competitive," Boyd said. "Hopefully when the teams come up against us will be overconfident."
Wawasee will open the season up Saturday at the Westview Jamboree at 6 p.m. [[In-content Ad]]