Sean C. Morgan
Sweet Home’s boys soccer team is young and can use more numbers, but the new varsity players bring something that previous classes have not: a habit of winning.
After years of high school soccer that often amounted to teaching beginners the basics of the game while teams like Philomath, Central and Sisters rolled in with players who’d been dribbling and shooting since they were 6, the Huskies are the beneficiaries of an increasingly solid junior high school program established over the last six years.
“It’s going to be interesting,” said Coach Ryan Regrutto.
The biggest challenge the third-year coach sees as Sweet Home opens its season is “we don’t have a lot of kids.”
The team has 23, 13 on varsity and 10 on junior varsity with Coach Eric Stutzer, who has done a great job with the JV, Regrutto said.
Returning varsity players include seniors Steven Ulmer, Kyle Rose, Austin Yoder and Michael Tolle and sophomores Patric Di-shaw and Nick Rodgers.
Rose was second-team all-league last year, Regrutto said. “He’s a hard-working guy, a good leader.”
Tolle is smart and works hard, Regrutto said. Ulmer too. They’re all hard-working.
The seniors were Regrutto’s freshmen when he took the team, he said. They’re “very respectful” and listen well, and he thinks they’re ready go out and win games.
“I can’t say enough nice things about the seniors I have,” Regrutto said. They’ll play right down the center of the field, with Rose running in the critical sweeper spot. Ulmer will work from the defense, while Tolle and Yoder work mid, with Tolle falling back to defense at times.
The returning sophomores, Dishaw and Rodgers, scored some goals last year, Regrutto said, and they’ll be the team’s offensive face.
“They’re big, strong guys who understand the game well,” Regrutto said.
The younger players provide an infusion of confidence.
“That JV worked together really well and had some success,” Regrutto said. They know what it’s like to win after going better than .500 last year. They know how to get there. They’ve done it against other players their age and are used to winning.
“It’s kind of turned things around, got the kids used to soccer and being on a winning team,” Regrutto said. He feels like practice is more competitive and the kids are more driven.
The team has a level of aggression he hasn’t seen in years past, he said. He’s concerned about the low numbers – if one player is hurt, the team is in trouble – but “I think we can be successful.”
The team is well ahead of where it has been at the beginning of the season in the past, Regrutto said. The players are getting the basics down in the junior high program, and he has been able to work on more advanced concepts with them this year.
“We can do some advanced stuff to take advantage of other teams,” Regrutto said. “We can actually be more proactive as opposed to reacting to other teams.”
The Huskies are practicing moving forward in formations it hasn’t used in the past.
The team will build a strong defense, but at the same time, it has some explosive players who can score goals, Regrutto said. “It’s going to come down to making sure we get them in the right places.”
The Huskies broke a losing streak last year by defeating Elmira, Regrutto said. “We were competitive. We were not holding on for dear life.”
This year, Regrutto believes the team will play more competitively with a few more teams. The Huskies will have more confidence, a belief they can go out, compete and win games.
In league play, the Huskies have a few obstacles.
Sisters is always good, with players playing year round, Regrutto said. The team is technically skilled. Outside of league play, the Huskies will face another tough team in Central.
Cottage Grove and Junction City, in league, are always good, he said, but “I finally feel as if we’re catching up.”
La Pine joins the league with a varsity squad this year.
Coaching staff includes Stutzer returning to lead the JV crew and Mike Rolph assisting Regrutto. Rolph is a life skills teacher at Sweet Home High School.
He showed up for open practices during the summer, Regrutto said. He is knowledgeable, positive and a good role model.
“I am excited,” Regrutto said. “I really am.”
For the players’ sake and the program’s sake, he would like to see more players out, he said. “I think we’re really starting to build something.”
The players are starting to develop a passion for soccer, Regrutto said. It’s no longer an afterthought for some of them, who have balanced multiple sports, and the summer program had great participation.
Joining the varsity from last year’s JV program are sophomores Tadyn Bentley, Egan Shamek, T.J. Baham and Matt Davis, along with juniors Brenner Roberts and Tyler Schilling. They are joined by freshman Alonso Perez.
The JV includes freshmen Wesley Parker, Ramon Fry, Dawson Guzman, Oscar Hernandez and Tristan Graham; sophomores Kyle Thomas, Malachi Christmas and Nikolas Dishaw; and junior Tristan Stockman.