Fresh off an uber-successful regional championship winning season, South boys soccer has high hopes heading into 2019. Unfortunately for South, they lost a chunk of their starting lineup to graduation. The list of departures included 17-goal scoring striker Carson Adams, 2018 All-Area Player of the Year Alex Fox, and veteran goalkeeper Giovanni Alicea.
It’ll mostly be new names this time around, but don’t anticipate the expectations to waver.
“We’ve made it one step further each of the last two years. Our goal is to compete in the state finals,” said senior center back Colin Doyle.
Coach Kevin Sparks is back for another season as coach of the Panthers. Coach Sparks’ unit is expected to run a 4-4-2 Diamond formation, but may factor in a 4-3-3 formation as well. The attack-oriented setup should allow South’s stellar midfield more opportunities at goal.
Speaking of which, the midfield will be manned by a quartet of seniors this season.
Seniors Josh Adams, Keegan Deemer, Logan Wilson, and Grant Yeagley form the diamond in the middle.
Adams, a captain this season, is a solid distributor of the ball and will slot in as the deepest midfielder.
Deemer, a varsity starter last season, plays defense with intensity.
“He’s tenacious. He’s a scrappy mother (expletive). Gotta love him,” said senior goalkeeper Nick Cannon.
Wilson saw varsity time last season and is one of the more technically savvy players on the team.
Yeagley, a captain who garnered 7 goals and 4 assists as a junior, is slated to play a sizeable role in the offensive charge.
A strong defense has long been a bedrock of South boys soccer. A majority of last season’s games ended with a goose egg by the opposing team.
New to the lineup at left and right back are juniors David Orth and Josh Davis. Having the left-footed Orth at left back should prove advantageous to the team defensively. Josh Davis is the junior captain and figures to have a solid season.
Senior center back captain Colin Doyle, a third year starter, brings a wealth of experience to South’s defensive core. He’ll be joined at the position by senior Nathan Zeichner. With both center backs also playing for the prestigious B-Town Bullets, it’ll be tough for any team to get a break on these lads.
Sophomore Cooper Fox and senior James Lundell are projected to start the season at striker. Fox’s athleticism and Lundell’s speed will be tough for opponents to contain. Junior Miles York and senior Sam Roberts could provide a spark off the bench.
And then there were the keepers. Senior Nick Cannon and junior Bennett Piper are the two names you need to know.
Cannon, in only his second year of organized soccer, has good height at 6-foot-3 and gave up just one goal in junior varsity time last season.
Piper, on the other hand, brings more in-game experience to the pitch.
Due to the tight competition, Coach Sparks may rotate goalkeepers to start off the season.
It appears to be a well-rounded crew for South this season. Their season kicks off Saturday, August 24 at Castle High School.
