Cougar Soccer Ready For 2011

The Pulaski County High School Soccer team had plenty of problems in 2010, starting with the snow that kept them off the practice field for an extended period of time.  The 2011 season, however, is looking much brighter for the Cougars as they bring fresh legs and a great attitude to the field.

"Speed and depth" said Cougar Head Soccer Coach Mike Price.  "The two things you need in most sports to be successful are speed and depth, and soccer is no different.  This is probably the quickest team I have ever coached.  We have speed at every level, so it should add a new twist to our offense.  We also have depth at each position.  In the past, our reserves were either too young or there was a drop off in talent.  This is not the case this year.  We have key people that will be able to step in and perform just as well as our starters.  We're excited about what we can do this season."

The team does face a challenge, however, as there is only one lone senior on the team.  "Chris Blankenship will play as our right midfielder" said Coach Price.   "Chris gives us great speed on the side, has a great leg, and volleys the ball well.  He is key to many of our set pieces."  So the challenge is who will be the team leaders?  "To be honest, I can't answer that until the season starts.  So far, all the guys have done a wonderful job stepping up when the time arises.  There has been no complaining about the conditioning, the weather, and what the coaches expect from them.  We have a young group this year, so it will be interesting to see who takes on the leadership role when the matches begin."

While the Cougars only have one senior, they do have several returning starters and several players who saw significant playing time last season.   "Chris Blankenship played midfield for us last season.  He has quick bursts, a strong leg, and crashes the goal well.  Tyler Trussler plays midfield, and has great field vision, is a phenomenal passer and crosser.  Zack Willard is our goalkeeper, and he has all the tools to be the best keeper in the district.  He can play every position on the field well.  He has great jumping/diving ability, and a strong leg.  Neeko Thompson plays defense for us.  He is quick, a vocal leader, always full speed, and reads the other teams offense well.  Gabe LeBlanc plays defense, and he is a physical bruiser who is not afraid to win every ball.  Cory McDaniel plays in the midfield, and he has good ball control and is a great passer.  Josh Dalton is one of our forwards, and he is always in position to make a play.  Taylor Webster plays defense, he is strong and a big body that can play various positions.   Cody Wright is another midfielder, he is a great feeder, has a solid left leg, and always gives 120%."

Price is also pleased with some of the "surprise" players he has found in his ranks this season.  "Zach Akers is a forward with a big body who improves with each day.  He is very unselfish and does whatever is needed to help the team.  Jordan Taylor plays defense for us, and he is quick, quick, quick!  I expect some good things from him.  Cody Linkous plays defensive midfielder, and he wins many balls out of the air, very physical.  Brandon Brock also plays defense, and he is another quick defender who likes to be physical.  Two freshmen have stood out for us also.  Andrew Powers plays forward, and he has great vision and hard shot.  Freshman Tye Saul plays midfield and dribbles and distributes the ball very well."

Rounding out the team are some new players that have stepped into the rank and are quickly proving to be a valuable asset to the team.  "Austin Talbert, Justin Gravely, Cooper Stephens, Trevor Hedge, Dylan Reichner, and James Cressell are going to be really strong assets for us this season " said Price.   "All of these guys made tremendous strives to make the team this year.  Talbert is a talented forward, Gravely is a quick defender, and Stephens brings a bit of size to us.  Hedge is a an aggressive hustler, Cressell is an intelligent defender, and Reichner can play a variety of position as well.  They not only provide us with some depth, but they are great "team guys" with really good attitudes."

So with all these positives, what does Coach Price feel his team needs to improve on?  "Communication is key.  Last year, leadership was lacking on and off the field.  We have to communicate and work well together.  So far, the guys have done a great job of working on this.  Another thing is being more physical.  Last year, we picked up a lot of cheap fouls I was not happy with.  I am trying to stress being physical....not dirty.  We want to play hard and win, but we want to do things the right way.  I expect to see these guys do well."

The Cougars will again be playing in the River Ridge District.  "This is a tough district, but we honestly feel we can make a lot of noise this year.  I am confident that we can compete with everyone in the district.  The guys have to believe it too.  We have to be at the top of our game for each match.  Each team has their own style, so we have to be able to adapt from one day to the next.  Blacksburg will still be the team to beat, they are the preseason favorites."

The Cougars are trying to get some scrimmage action in before the start of the regular season, but the first official game is set to be on Monday March 14 at Radford High School.  Start time for the contest is set for 5:30 for the junior varsity contest, followed by the varsity matchup at 7 pm.