Sean C. Morgan
Nick Rodgers was named Most Valuable Player on the high school boys soccer team.
Also winning awards during the team’s awards banquet, held Nov. 18, were Tristan Graham, Most Improved; Rowland Lupoli, Mr. Husky Hustle award; and Matt Davis and Malachi Christman, Coach’s Award.
Coach Eric Stutzer selected the award recipients with input from his coaching staff and team captain, Rodgers.
Lupoli, a freshman, distinguished himself early in the season against Taft, Stutzer said. He had never played varsity before. Swinging from the JV and playing off the bench, “he just came out and played like an animal.”
He played like he had varsity experience and set the tone for everyone else, Stutzer said. He earned a varsity spot.
Graham has “a lot of work ethic in practice,” Stutzer said. “He’s always asking what he can do better.”
Because the substitutes roster was so strong, Graham didn’t get much time subbing, but he improved across the board, applying good defensive pressure, passing, accuracy and first-touch efficiency.
He was tentative, but he grew confident, Stutzer said.
Davis and Christman earned their awards based on their everyday attitude and how they performed in the face of adversity, Stutzer said. Both are top students academically, and Davis has been Athlete of the Week at school. Both played positions all over the field. Davis also spent time at keeper. They never complained and gave 110 percent every time they went onto the field.
Rodgers is “Mr. Everything,” Stutzer said, and that’s why he was unanimously voted First-Team All-League. Off the field, he stands out in academics and helps other players during study times. He has organized off-season practices.
Every time he is on the field, he impacts the game, and he’s only a junior, Stutzer said.
Stutzer told parents and team members about another coach’s compliments for Sweet Home’s sportsmanship, calling it Sweet Home soccer’s new legacy. He also highlighted reasons why he is optimistic about his team, despite this year’s two-win finish. The last season the Huskies did this well was in 2004-05 when they were one game out of playoffs with four wins.
“There are lots of good things to come because I think we’re basically turning a corner in this program,” Stutzer said. This was the second-best season in terms of statistics.
The Huskies had a strong schedule, Stutzer said, and had they been winning, they would have been at the top of 4A rankings. Two teams the Huskies competed against made the play-in round, and five more made the state playoffs. Creswell went to the semifinals, and Sisters reached the quarterfinals.
In the Huskies’ first game against Sisters, the teams were tied 0-0 until just eight minutes left in the game, Stutzer said. It was stiff competition. Some games weren’t great, but they were competitive.
Opponents scored 53 goals, less than previous years, Stutzer said, and that was with the goalkeeper position in flux. Patric Dishaw battled injuries in the position and was out in four games. The Huskies scored 12 goals.
Egan Shamek led the scoring, with five goals, playing only about half the games this season, Stutzer said. Rodgers scored four goals, while Alonso Perez scored two. Kyle Thomas scored one that went unrecorded after a penalty kick. The goal was not counted on an off-sides call, something Stutzer said was an impossible call in that situation.
“We have a lot to look forward to,” Stutzer said. To get there will require commitment in the off-season. With just three seniors, most players return next year.
They’ll need to get the ball on their foot and play in off-season soccer leagues, Stutzer said. If they do that and follow an off-season workout schedule, it will show in their game next year and help turn the Huskies’ record around.
“We didn’t completely meet the goals we set out to attain,” Stutzer said. “I felt we were competitive enough we could’ve met those goals. It’s a matter of matching ability with believing in ourselves. It’s a matter of getting the mental edge to complement the ability. We’ve had such a culture of losing, we haven’t learned to win.”
But the ability is certainly there, and the team has gained a lot of experience in tight games against tough teams, he said. JV shows a lot of potential.
“I think there’s a lot to be excited about,” Stutzer said.