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Celebration boys have big goals after success in regional playoffs |
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Nov 13, 2009 at 04:42 PM |
By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer
Harmony swept the Orange Belt Conference soccer titles, sharing the boys crown with Gateway and Celebration last season.
Celebration’s boys were the only Osceola County squad to advance to the regional playoffs after beating Bishop Moore for the district championship.
With Bishop Moore no longer in 4A District 6, Celebration, Harmony and St. Cloud have a better chance of reaching both the girls and boys playoffs.
Harmony
The Longhorns claimed their first OBC crown last year, but lost in the district semifinals to rival Bishop Moore.
For Coach Scott Grieve, new goalkeeper Mike Hyson will play behind an experienced defense of Tanner Clark, Seth Hoadley, Derek Mattson, Branden Frankenburg and Riley Ward. Offensive forwards Clayton Chambers and Jansen Bernuy also return.
Seniors George Crystal and Stuart Hills start in the midfield. New to the team this year are juniors Peter Salmi (midfield/defense), John McClure (defense) and Aaron Pollack (midfield). Freshmen Chris Huff (forward) and Alex Grieve (forward/goalkeeper) also made the roster.
“We still need to develop depth to the squad, but there are some very good prospects,” Grieve said. “I am looking forward to the season and the new district. We have maintained our district rivalries from the county which are always guaranteed to be a good match.”
Coach Stephanie Jones’ team also is defending an OBC title. She has many players returning such as Player of the Year Caitlyn Beam, a sophomore forward, and junior goalkeeper Kaylee Horn.
“We’re looking forward to being solid,” Jones said. “We’ve moved a few up from the JV and have some freshmen who could have an impact this year.”
Junior Peyton Leffew joins Beam up front. Junior Emily Johnson is in the midfield and senior Alyssa Miceli and junior Anna Blanchard anchor a defense that starts the year rather young.
Jones said the team’s goal is to give maximum effort every time out, and let the results speak for themselves.
“Do right, go hard and play our game, that’s our motto,” she said.
The Longhorns began the season with a tie against Melbourne Central Catholic, then defeated St. Cloud, 2-0, in a district and conference match.
Celebration
The Storm lost some key components from last year’s 20-3-2 team like goalie Alejandro Saldana and midfielders Fabio Garcia, Alex Sunnaborg and Liam Harvey to graduation, but Coach Mike Meechin feels like the team reloaded thanks to a strong program at all levels.
“After that taste of the playoffs last year (the Storm won their regional quarterfinal), our goals are loftier; we want to get to Tampa (the state tournament),” he said.
Captains Danny Castano and Santiago Echeverri will lead in the defense and midfield. The new goalie is freshman John Birchall.
“He’s not much of a drop off from Alejandro, and in his four years here he’ll one day be a stud,” Meechin said.
Stewart Londono and Christian Ardila will play midfield or forward depending on what the team needs, said the coach.
“We have the leadership in the middle and back, guys who know the program and know the goals. Everybody’s buying in,” Meechin said. “It’s not about individual statistics, it’s about Celebration’s goals.”
The Storm opens at home Tuesday against Orange County power Winter Park, who Celebration bested in this week’s preseason tournament.
“We want to have some early success, make some noise, make a name for ourselves,” Meechin said. “We have a tough schedule that includes Bishop Moore, First Academy and University. And in the county we expect to compete hard with Harmony.”
The Celebration girls were 10-9-1 under Ed Kuzma, who has five key starters back: senior goalkeeper Shelby West, senior fullback Gabby Walton, senior forward Natalie Melo and junior midfielders Jillian Strogis and Laura Rodriguez.
Senior midfielder Hillary Ralston and freshman defender Lexi Stephan are newcomers.
From that group, Kuzma hopes to find scoring replacements for Bianca Hall and Slyvia Palermo, who graduated and took 80 percent of the scoring punch with them.
Kuzma said there are questions that he hopes are answered on a game-by-game basis.
“Will someone step up and take over the finishing responsibilities? Can we replace three defenders?” he said. “We are carrying a large roster and giving everyone a chance to earn positions. We will get better as the year goes on, but we need to peak at the right time.”
Celebration hosts the boys and girls district tournaments.
Osceola
Boys Coach Tom Bell had a young team last year that managed a .500 record, and many of those players are back.
“We have a lot of individual talent, if we can bring it all together we can be solid,” Bell said.
Senior sweeper Raul Panaguos and junior midfielder David Nino, who returns after a year in Miami, are the impact players, Bell said. Midfielder Jordy Urbina, defender Ian Tudor and midfielders Jonathan Fuentes and Jonathan Ferrera return. Newcomers Eric Alfaro (a freshman) and Oreon Trajano hope to make an impact as scorers, along with midfielder Josh Martinez. Senior Alex Hernandez and junior Cody Ausherman are goalkeepers.
“Our midfield is going to be a strength,” Bell said. “We’ve got a lot more speed than last year.”
Much of the returning talent from Coach Mark Ausherman’s girls team is young, such as defenders Clair Tudor and Sarah Lambert, midfielder Kiersten Martinez and forward Leah Mullins – all sophomores. Senior Crystal Marshall is a returning senior.
The newcomers include freshmen Daniela Castano (midfield) and Allyah Barnes (defense), and sophomores Monica Morales (midfield) and Mary Hernandez (keeper).
“We have a good number of players returning and are starting to work well together as a team,” Ausherman said.
St. Cloud
New coach Weylan Craig is working hard to get the Bulldogs back into district contention.
The Bulldogs will build around senior forward Andres Cotamo and junior midfield T.J. Price, the captains. Other starters include senior defender Bart Sturgeon, junior midfielders Catarino Martinez and Brian Rodriguez, junior forward Mark Arft and junior defender Landin Fontaine.
“With experience and skill at the midfield, the team will control the pace of the game and set up plays to put the forwards into scoring position,” Craig said.
Coach Melissa Jackson’s girls team was rocked by injuries last year, leading to a 12-8 record that was disappointing for the former four-time OBC champions.
“We’re starting the season injury-free, knock on wood,” Jackson said.
The strength of the team is in three-year starting goalie Megan Lubick and the midfield. Senior Alyson Spry returns from injury last year to join junior Kayla Martinez and newcomers Lynnsey Glunt, Erica Wilson and Audra Bosler. The defense is led by senior sweeper Kelly Coughenour, junior Melanie Simancas and freshman Ashley Owens.
The scoring punch should come from senior Veronica Stookey (who scored twice in a 2-0 season-opening win over Osceola) and freshmen Melissa Arft and Kristin Detroyer.
“Eustis is going to be our biggest challenge, and we still have Harmony and Celebration to match up with,” Jackson said.
Gateway
Oswald Attin, who took on the Panther program just weeks before the season last year, had a chance to put his team through preseason drills this time.
“We’re looking at a great year, we have seniors determined to take leadership,” he said. “It will be easier this year, everyone knows our expectations from the start.”
Seniors John Sarmiento and Wilson Leon will roam the midfield along with sophomore Felipe Olivera.
Junior Luis Betancourt and senior Rolex Thervil anchor the defense. Adrian Rowe, a newcomer from Jamaica, is the leading candidate to provide the scoring punch until fellow forward Andreas Jara returns from a leg injury sometime in January. Sophomore Diego Alejos is in goal.
Andres Rivera takes over the girls program. Midfielders Steffany Restrepo and Atar Hajali return, along with forwards Cindy Buitrago and Kaley White.
The rest of the team includes goalkeeper Kristin Ojeda and fullbacks Evelyn Solozano, Karla Checo, Shaina Rios, Kelly Ferrer and Saray Arce. The midfielders are Icess Maldonado, Tahlia Acevedo, Nicole Almeida, Prisila Velazquez, Jessica Diaz and Natalie Martinez. The forwards include Aby Berrios, Joanna Diaz and Taylor Stullonburger.
“There’s been an improvement already, we’re playing well and Kristin is a good keeper,” Rivera said.
Berrios scored four times in a 4-2 win over Poinciana Tuesday.
Liberty
Julio Serrao coached the inaugural Chargers team and comes back to coach in their third season. It’s a young team built around talented midfielders Mario Rosales and Michael Garcia. They are surrounded by quite a few underclassmen.
“We will be trying to develop our program for the future. If this progress comes to fruition earlier than sooner, we may be a factor later on in the year,” Serrao said.
Rachel Yonkey’s girls team is led by returning starters Marisa Giannott, a sophomore sweeper/midfielder, and juniors Christina MacDonald (center midfield) and goalkeeper Brenda Toro. Forward Alicia Font and defender Yamileth Diaz, both freshmen, already are having an impact.
“We look forward to a good season. We have a great team of girls,” Yonkey said.
Poinciana
Ryans Calmont takes over the girls team, which beat Oak Ridge, 9-0, and Evans, 9-1, to start the season 2-1.
Freshman midfielder Estelle Experance, one of three freshmen to start, scored nine goals in the first three games. Senior forward and captain Danielle Akkerman had five in that stretch.
Freshmen Estafany Abastia (defense) and Gabrielle Rodriguez (midfield) and sophomore midfielder Andrea Betancur are part of the youth movement.
Goalkeeper Martie Wagner is a junior. Forward Telita Desouza is another senior.
“We are a young team, our strength is our unity and our youth,” Calmont said. “The games we win will be won by heart and effort rather than experience.”
Charles McBroom will coach the boys team. |
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