When the dust cleared in last year’s 2-2 state tournament shootout between Bloomington South’s star-studded squad, boasting fifteen seniors, and Evansville Memorial, no one from South was expecting a future squad that could fill the shoes of the 2016 team.
However, Coach Kevin Sparks managed to assemble another strong squad that is currently 12-1 and ranked No. 8 in the state. Additionally, ever since a tough loss to a solid Perry Meridian team, the Panthers are riding an impressive eight game win streak atop Conference Indiana. Right in the middle of the that streak are three wins that gained Sparks’ his third straight Hoosier Cup title. Considering that the team has had to produce a completely new starting lineup and has six less seniors than last year, all these feats are quite impressive.
Even more impressive, junior Jackson Moore, who just picked up soccer this year, not only made the team, but is also excelling as a varsity starter. Moore isn’t the only dominant junior, though, as Alex Fox is tied with senior captain Ben Yeagley for the most goals. Fox can also be found on Friday nights out on the football field serving as the kicker for the football team.
Many sophomores, such as James Lundell and Keegan Deemer, have also had to step up without an abundance of seniors. When asked about the team’s success, Lundell said, “It was a little surprising, considering we lost fifteen kids.ut after a few games, we realized our potential.”
It seems that realization has spread confidence throughout the team, as Deemer stated, “if we stick together as a team, we can make it far.”
So where was the 2016 team at this point? 12-1. Hoosier Cup Champions. Atop Conference Indiana. Seems like the 2017 team is on track to fill the shoes of last year’s team and, quite possibly, do a lot more.
