Following a five-win campaign in 2008, the Avery men’s soccer team hopes to rekindle an era of excellence when the program was consistently among the top of the Western Highlands Conference.A number of new faces dot the field for the Big Red, but returning to this year’s team are around a half-dozen seniors who are hungry to provide steady leadership and to encounter success on the field yet to be experienced in their prep careers.
Tom Evaul returns to the Vikings men’s soccer program as head coach, following a successful tenure by former coach Lou Brancourt who moved away from the Avery area following last season. Evaul, former Toby Webb Coach of the Year Award recipient, helped begin the soccer program at
Although he is listed as head coach, Evaul sees himself and the other coaches as equals when it comes to teaching and leading the team.
“We have a great group of coaches. I can turn a practice to any of the coaches and they are able to run it seamlessly. As coaches, we are all equal,” Coach Evaul said during a team practice last week. “I may have more knowledge and experience, but that doesn’t always make me the better guy. Coach Bledsoe is a youth leader at church, so he is good at dealing with the mentality of the players. It’s like we’ve told our guys, there are four coaches working with them.”
“It’s great to have the coaches we have. We’re able to go to any of them with any problems we have, and it’s nice that any of them are willing to help and work with us,” senior Cody Shadoin said.
The Vikings have been working hard since practice began on August 3rd, developing teamwork and honing skills from passing to dribbling to defense. Through the time, the players have impressed the coaches with their work ethic and progress.“This is a good group of guys. They are dedicated and they push themselves and each other. We’ve had some good camaraderie. These players will do all we ask and do it well,” Coach Evaul said.
“These guys have put in a lot of hard work under Coach Lou, and it has paid off with a good group of guys who have been providing leadership. Coach Evaul is giving the players the chance to use everything they’ve learned, be a team, and play the game. Hopefully we coach a little less and they play a little more,” Coach Mitchell Bledsoe added.
This year’s club will build on a foundation of five seniors who will provide leadership to a talented squad that boasts a pair of freshmen and ten other sophomore or junior players that fill out the roster.
Two seniors, third-year starting goalkeeper Morgan Bounds and teammate Kyle Griewisch, have participated in club soccer during the off-season to continue shaping their skill sets in preparation for their final season on the pitch in an Avery uniform.
“Club soccer has helped us to keep with the game,” keeper Bounds said following practice. “Instead of waiting six months before the season begins, we’re able to continue to keep with the game. Instead of losing anything, we keep on building.”
“I think this group of guys has good leadership material. A couple of the players spending extra time playing club soccer means a lot. Those players have been traveling across the state playing soccer against the best players in the state. These players respect that leadership and perhaps may do so more than they have previously,” Coach Evaul added. “Even a couple of the non-seniors are well respected and the team listens to them when they make suggestions. This is a great group of attitude guys and is one of the main reasons I decided to coach the team for the first time in five years.”
2009 shapes up to be a competitive season for Avery soccer as the team hopes to improve on the five victories it experienced a year ago. “I think we’ll be a lot more competitive, as long as we’re healthy. I told the players that I believed we could triple the total of five wins we had last year. I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t have a winning season,” Coach Evaul said. “I’ve seen these guys work and how they play, and as long as we stay injury-free I believe we have a good shot at a winning season.”
The confidence is echoed by the other coaches on staff. “We have a good chance to be at least a .500 club, but will be better able to gauge that when school starts and we’re able to get our entire team together every practice, scrimmage, and learn where players best fit together,” Coach Daniel Jimenez shared.
The team appreciates the faith and confidence placed in them by their coaches and is committed to bring the Avery program back to prominence starting now.
“To me personally, I think it gives us confidence that they have confidence in us. It raises the spirits on the field and we play better soccer,” senior Cody Shadoin said.
“Confidence in us and each other is always good, as it is what helps hold a team together,” fellow senior Daniel Huff added. “This year we have a good group of guys. Some of us have played all year and for a lot of time together, and we know each other’s skills and what we’re good at, and we hope to use that to our advantage.”
From the sentiments of the elder statesmen of the team, expect the 2009 edition of the Avery soccer team to display a winning attitude and full effort each and every time they take the field this season.
“Our goal isn’t necessarily that we win every single game, but that we get the team to the point where we are comfortable with each other, encouraging each other and being positive as a team,” senior Daniel Huff stated. “Even if we don’t win every game, I want to be able to say that we played hard through every minute in every game,” Shadoin added.
“We will keep encouraging each other, try to keep everything positive and fun the whole season so nobody gets down. We’ll play together the entire time,” Bounds echoed.
The Avery soccer team begins the season with an all-day jamboree in
