Sean C. Morgan
The boys soccer program returns a lot of junior varsity players this year, but it’s got a lot of new players too.
“This is the highest total we’ve had in my two years,” said Coach Ryan Regrutto. Some 24 boys have signed on so far, and that will allow the team to comfortably field a junior varsity team this year. He expects at least three more. The team lost 11 from last year and is in rebuilding mode, but Regrutto can do so with students who have experience.
The team has four returning varsity seniors, including Wyatt Hayes, Nene Mauer, Ole Olsen and Justin Webb. Joining them are seniors Parke Young, Hunter Burge and David St. Onge.
“We’ve got a lot of new faces,” Regrutto said. “We’ve got a really good freshman class. That’s exciting.”
Regrutto hasn’t solidified his varsity lineup yet, and he expects to switch things around as the season starts, he said. “There’s a young group of kids who are pretty close in ability,” he said. That makes it difficult to split them up in ways that are beneficial individually and for the team.
The JV and varsity games are played at the same time, so it will be difficult to swing players between teams on the same day, Regrutto said.
“We’re going to work really hard on defense,” Regrutto said. “We’ve got to be committed and working hard.”
The team’s defense and game plan will be more flexible this year, strategically addressing opponents’ strengths and weaknesses, he said. In the past, he has tried to force his team’s formations on the opponent, but it hasn’t worked that well.
Out of a flexible, strategic defense, Regrutto would like to create some offense, he said.
On the field, Webb will return to the defensive lineup.
Olsen will move from defense to forward, Regrutto said. “He’s got a nose for the goal.”
Mauer and Hayes return to the midfield, he said. It’s a difficult position to play, and they’re good at it.
“They’re all good players, and I expect a lot of them,” he said. “Their senior leadership will come in handy for us.”
“Our league is always tough with teams like Sisters with kids that play year round,” Regrutto said.
Sisters will be among the top teams, and Junction City is always competitive, he said. Junction City is tough to match on defense, while Cottage Grove is hard-working and well-organized. Elmira is similar to Sweet Home, with a group of hard-working players. La Pine will field only a JV team this year.
Last year, the Huskies had a lot of closer games than they did the previous year, Regrutto said, but they couldn’t get over the hump, into the win column.
“We had difficulties putting the ball in the net.”
But Sweet Home kept opponents from scoring as much as they did in the past, he said. “That’s something to build on.”
Games were close and competitive, he said. Now the team needs to develop an ability to finish, focus on scoring more goals and win games this year.
The freshmen will push the team forward this year, Regrutto said. It’s a group of athletes with a history of winning in American Youth Soccer Organization games.
“We’re getting a really good feeder system,” he said. “It bodes well for the future of the program.”
There hadn’t been a feeder system in place, Regrutto said, and he expects the junior varsity to do very well this year.
“They’re good kids,” Regrutto said. “We’ve had just great kids all the time.”
It’ll take them time to get acclimated to the varsity level, he said. “Some of these kids have never played at this speed.”
Eric Stutzer continues as JV coach, Regrutto said. He said Stutzer has done “a great job” with his players, and Regrutto thinks he’s made great progress with them.
Last year, the JV had no subs. This year, Regrutto will be able to give Stutzer some.
“Eric doesn’t know what he’s going to do,” Regrutto joked.
The team includes seniors Hunter Barge, Wyatt Hayes, Nene Mauer, Ole Olsen, David St. Onge, Justin Webb and Parke Young; juniors Brandon Clark, Kyle Rose, Michael Tolle, Steven Ulmer and Austin Yoder; sophomores Gabriel Redick, Brenner Roberts, Tyler Schilling and Tristan Stockman; and freshmen Thomas Baham, Tadyn Bentley, Malachi Christman, Matt Davis, Patric Dishaw, Nick Rodgers, Egan Shamek and Kyle Thomas.