DONNELLSON - It’s a busy week for Central Lee’s boys and girls soccer teams, and both coaches think that’s a good thing.
Each team has three matches on the schedule this week to open the season, starting with Monday’s openers against Keokuk, and game time is critical for what boys coach Justin Schau and girls coach Jess Young want to build for this season.
“We’ve got plenty of ability, that’s for sure,” Schau said. “We just need to get some games in so we can put some things together.”
Young, in her first season with the Hawks, was disappointed when last Thursday’s match against Mid-Prairie was postponed because of weather.
“I would have liked to have gotten it in, just to see what we could do,” she said.
A look at each team:
BOYS
Schau, in his 11th season, has built a blue-collar mentality with his team.
“The key for us this year is the key for us every year,” he said. “We’re not a team that’s loaded with a ton of skill. We just have to make sure we outwork everybody we play, that at each position we play at a high level, and that everybody on the field is working together.
“Basically our motto is we’ve got to put our work boots on every game we play, and we have to make sure they’re strapped tight. Don’t get me wrong — we have skilled players. But there are teams in our conference that are full of skilled players, and our goal every night is to outwork them.”
|The Hawks bring back Zach Estrada, their leading goal scorer last season with 12, from a team that went 12-5. Peter Seyb, with 10 goals, is back, along with Mason Sanders, who had eight.
“I do think we have a pretty good offensive team,” Schau said. “We have had to switch a few roles around with our lineup because of who we lost, but I think we can do a lot of good things.”
Sophomore Tristan Robins will take over as goalkeeper. Robins played just nine minutes last season.
“I think we’ve been able to simulate game conditions enough so he has a good idea of what to expect this season,” Schau said.
It’s why Schau is looking forward to a busy week.
“We’ve got to get some things that we need to mesh together,” he said. “It’s just something that we need some game time to do. You can only simulate so much in practice. But the potential and the ability are there.”
GIRLS
For Young, game time will be her first chance to see her team in more than just a scrimmage. It’s something the new coach is looking forward to seeing.
“Things have gone well so far,” she said. “Our players have good spirit, and they’re giving good effort. We’re looking forward to getting out there and playing.”
Of Young’s 15 players, three are seniors and three are juniors.
“So we have a lot of young talent,” Young said.
The Hawks will have to rebuild their offense from last season. They had 20 goals, and 15 of those belonged to Ellie Lake, who was a senior. Sophomore Evelyn Adkins, who had four goals last season, returns.
The three returning seniors — Emma Seitz, Charlee Clay and Layla Gonterman — are the team captains.
The three juniors are Young’s daughter B, Haylee Smith, and Aida Ward.
“They’re new together,” Young said of her team. “We’ve only been playing together for a short time. But there’s good cohesion, and that’s important.
“It’s a huge learning experience. I’ve never coached at the high school level. But I’m really looking forward to working with this group.”
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