Last year: 21-2.
Returnees: Seniors — Calum Latham, F; Patrick Burns, D; Chip Samuelson, G. Sophomores — Thor Beckdahl, F; Casey Burns, D; Joey DeOto, M.
Newcomers: Senior — Ross Vaske, D. Juniors — Kyle Roberts, M; Pat McCombs, M. Sophomores — Anthony DeCarlo, M; Will Johnson, M; Cory Wilber, M.
FYI: The Irish have won nine of 10 OHC championships and five in a row. They have 25 straight winning seasons, 14 league title, 14 district titles, four regional titles and two state titles.
Coach’s comment: “So far, it’s a work in progress. We did well in the summer. We’ve done reasonably well in the preseason. We lost three-fourths of our starting defense. Our biggest concern is getting our new players in the back up to the level where they need to be.”
Emmanuel Christian
Coach: Darren Loeffler, first season.
Last year: 5-11, 0-5 Metro Buckeye Conference.
Returnees: Seniors — Brandon Olsen, D; Matthew Trout, D; Jeffrey Johnson, M; Andrea Martinson, M; Evan Linn, F; Jared Klawer, G; Noel Coles, M; Jake Mottorshed, M; Stephen Millar, M. Junior — Sheldon Shaw, M. Sophomores — Jacob O’Brien, M.
Newcomers: Seniors — Chloe West, F; Brandon VanDette, D. Freshmen — Dustyn Mitchem, F; Joe Harvey, D; Jacob Norman, M.
FYI: West was the News-Sun Clark County Girls Player of the Year in 2009 at Northwestern. She transferred to Emmanuel Christian last fall but had to sit out a season. She’ll play with the boys team because Emmanuel doesn’t have a girls program. ... Loeffler, a 2000 Northeastern graduate, was the assistant coach last year under Jim Beair, who coached for one season.
Coach’s comments: “It should be really interesting. We have a lot of seniors, a lot of kids who have been playing together for a long time.”
Graham
Coach: Damon Smith, first season.
Last year: 7-10-1, 2-8-1 CBC.
Returnees: Seniors — Eli Beard, M; Lloyd Box, M; Austin Thornton, D; Luke Harmon, D; Chris Martinez, F. Junior — Austin Springer, M.
Newcomers: Seniors — Brandon Kerns, D; Seth Kerns, D; Ryan Rowe, G. Juniors — Reed Gibson, M; Zac Roop, M; Patrick Hughes, D; Brevin Parin, F/M.
FYI: Smith replaces Derrick Walling, who coached for two seasons. Smith is a 2004 Kenton Ridge graduate who was an assistant coach at Kenton Ridge the last three seasons. ... Senior Cody Merica will not play this season after undergoing shoulder surgery. ... The Kerns brothers played as sophomores, but didn’t play last year.
Coach’s comment: “They put in a lot of hard work this summer. Probably 95 percent of them came to almost everything this summer. They haven’t had a whole lot of success the past couple years. With me running a new style, they’re getting used to that and buying into my philosophy.”
Greeneview
Coach: Bob Eakins, 13th season.
Last year: 4-12-1, 3-4-1 OHC.
Returnees: Seniors — Craig Perry, F/G. Jacob Wright, M; Jeremy Caudill, M. Juniors — Mark Canty, F; Brandon Link, D; Troy Seabold, M; Rylee Woods, M. Sophomores — Dakotah Fogle, M; Blaze Haines, D.
Newcomers: Senior — Nick Waters, F. Junior — Trae Claypool, M/F. Sophomores — Austin Hooks, F; Wade Wagner, D; Ryan Waters, M. Freshmen — Jordan Basinger, D; Joshua Dale, F; Cole Hiser, M; Austin Houser, M; Branson Hudson, D; Tommy Lowe, G; Ben Webb, F; Bryce Woods, M/F.
FYI: Woods made the News-Sun All-Area second team in 2010. Perry made the All-Dayton third team.
Coach’s comment: “We are very young again this year, but have had a great preseason.”
Greenon
Coach: Jeff Nickles, seventh season.
Last year: 11-5-1, 8-2-1 CBC.
Returnees: Seniors — Jerron Bennington, F; Collin Millar, M; Kagen Buchhop, M; Tyler Maas, M; Tristan Ruef, D; Brandon McNeil, D. Juniors — Dan Pensworth, M; Cody Carpenter, F; Sam Culp, D.
Newcomers: Senior — Curtis Welch, M. Sophomore — Drake Pensworth, D; Caleb Folck, D; Caleb Wilson, G. Freshman — Chase Green, F.
FYI: Bennington and Carpenter ranked second and third in the area in goals last season with 19 and 16, respectively. Culp is moving from marking back to sweeper. Wilson will start at goalie. He played there at the beginning of last season when the starter was hurt.
Coach’s comment: “We have a lot of experience at the front of the field. Most of our midfielders and offense has two or three years of varsity experience. Some of them have four. Our defense is going to be a little green.”
Kenton Ridge
Coach: Chris Slagle, 17th season.
Last year: 11-5-3, 6-3-2 CBC.
Returnees: Seniors — Collin Hawke, M; Adam Roberson, F/D; Cody Jackson, M. Juniors — Nick Lacey, D; Andy Lawson, F; Graham Roan, M; Jordan Goodfellow, D/G; Zach Sperzenbach, M; Matt Sherrock, M/D; Tom Fiegl, M/F. Sophomores — Bailey Clingman, F/D; Levi DiMichele, M/F.
Newcomers: Juniors — Skyler McHenry, G; Matt Cossel, D. Sophomores — Keenan Young, M/D; Isaiah Greenwood, M; Tyler Day, D. Freshman — Joseph Lacey, M/F.
FYI: The team graduated News-Sun All-Area second team goalie John McKinney. ... Roberson had six goals and five assists last year. Lawson had five, and Hawke four.
Coach’s comment: “We’ve got some holes to fill, goalie being one of the biggest ones. Guys have really come in to camp in shape, which is a good bonus. We had a good showing over the summer at the Fairborn tournament with a mix of guys from JV who really stepped up.”
Northeastern
Coach: John Schmid, fifth season.
Last year: 7-7-2.
Returnees: Seniors — Caleb Wiseman, M; Alex LeVan, F; Cody Wilfong, D; Braden Stookey, D; Justin Scott, M. Juniors — Scott Casto, D; Paul Bowen, D; Dakota Smith, M; Doug Maley, D; Michael Schmid, M/G. Sophomores — Derek Akers, D/M; Nathan Simpson, F; Will Foreman, G.
Newcomers: Freshmen — Ben Casto, D; Christian Oberg, D.
FYI: The Jets have increased their win total five seasons in a row. ... LeVan led the team with 10 goals and seven assists last season.
Coach’s comment: “We were .500 for the first time in 25 years of Northeastern soccer last year. We’re hoping to better that by one game and get a winning record this year.”
Northwestern
Coach: Bob Caldwell, fourth season.
Last year: 9-5-3, 7-2-1, CBC.
Returnees: Seniors — Nick Sullivan, G; Josh McFarland, D; Jeremy Sigler, F; Logan Miller, M; Zach Wildofsky, M. Juniors — Cody Circle, F; Tyler Shaffer, D; Nathan Griest, D.
Newcomers: Seniors — Dakota Hitt, D; Troy Irick, M. Junior— Luke Burns, D. Sophomore— Brett Siemon, M; J.T. Rutherford, M; Nathan Clark, M.
FYI: Sigler, Circle and Miller combined for more than 20 goals last season. McFarland will be the key player on defense, starting at sweeper.
Coach’s comment: “I think we’re looking pretty good right now. We lost a few key players, but we’ve got guys who have stepped in pretty well in those positions. The potential is there. On paper, we look good. It depends on how well they jell when the game starts.”
Shawnee
Coach: Aaron Fourman, second season.
Last year: 3-9-1, 1-8-1 CBC.
Returnees: Seniors — Reed Cooper, M; Danny Valley, M; Zach Massie, F; Avery Cross, D; Adam Mourry, M; Adonis Gordon, F; Dom Stewart, M; Devon Laughlin, G. Juniors — Derek Zinkhon, D; Austin Wilson, D; Evan Pitstick, M; Josh Caudill, M. Sophomores — Michael Hutchings, F; Evan Dillahunt, M; Zach Lambert, M; Kyle Gresse, M.
FYI: Cooper was an All-CBC Kenton Trail Division first team member in 2010. Cross made the second team. ... Massie scored four goals last year.
Coach’s comment: “I’m feeling pretty good about our chances. Last year was my first year, and I got brought in really late. I had maybe 2½ weeks with the guys before the season. This year, we’ve got a lot of seniors, guys who have played in the program. We play really well as a team. I expect us to be in the top three of the CBC. I would say our record will flip flop from last year.”
Southeastern
Coach: Aaron Baldauff, first season.
Last year: 1-16.
Returnees: Seniors — Josh Rotroff, K; Travis McClure, D; Sam Blevins, D. Juniors — Burke Stuckey, M; Kyle Schrader, F. Sophomores — Lucas Toops, F; Brody Baise, M.
Newcomers: Senior — Austin Fulton, M. Sophomores — Luke Farmer, M. Freshmen — Brian Armstrong, D; Steven Earles, M; Derek Inskeep, M; Nick Lancaster, M/D; Mathew Larson, D; Daniel Ratliff, K.
FYI: Baldauff replaces Gene Karn, who coached for two seasons. Baldauff is a New Jersey native who played college soccer at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. ... Baise, Schrader and Toops will be the team’s top scoring threats, and McClure and Blevins are four-year starters on defense.
Coach’s comment: “We’re very young, but we’re learning fast. I’m excited about the effort they’re giving me.”
Springfield
Coach: Ray Davis, fourth season (sixth overall).
Last year: 1-16, 0-5 GWOC.
Returnees: Seniors — Peter Hurst; Ian Shelburne; Nauman Rauf; Tre McIntosh. Junior — Abe Gaskins.
Newcomers: Seniors — Brantley Davis; Jonathan Gummell; Darryl Grayson; Josiah Trifle; Taylor Francis. Juniors — D.J. Torok; Stephen Koehler; Nazeer Ahmed; Sean Burroughs. Sophomores — Samuel Grayson; Bodey Rozele. Freshmen — Caleb Nelson, Varun Devatha; Fernando Vazquez; Cole Foster.
FYI: Davis plans to use an attacking formation to make use of all their strengths.
Coach’s comment: “Last year we won our first game in school history, and we plan to build off of that this year.”
Tecumseh
Coach: Jason Runner, eighth season.
Last year: 11-3-3, 8-1-2 CBC.
Returnees: Seniors — Chase Culbertson, D; Jordan Gozelski, M; Joel Summerfield, M; Matt Lemming, F; Guillermo Ruiz, D. Juniors — Jonathan Catedral, D.
Newcomers: Juniors — Scott Buchhalter, D; Luke Miller, D; Leo Olvera, F. Sophomores — Alex Arnold, M; Casey Kitko, M; Robbie Russell, M; Alberto Gonzalez, F; David Schwartz, D; Landon Smith, G.
FYI: Gozelski had four goals and eight assists last season. Summerfield had five goals. Culbertson will lead the defense from the sweeper position.
Coach’s comment: “We’re solid. We’ve got some height with Jordan in the middle. He’s 6-5, and Culbertson is probably 6-3. Summerfield is also 6-3. Hopefully, we can take advantage on set pieces. We’ve got speed around the outside, and our marking backs can overlap. They like to go forward.”
Triad
Coach: Josh Core, second season.
Last year: 4-8-1.
Returnees: Seniors — Dillon Atherton; Drew Butz,. Juniors — Matt King, Devin Byrd; Cooper Benevides; Josh Watson; Chris Miller. Sophomores — Ainsley Ford, Chris Partlow.
Newcomers: Mike McKinney, Jake Arthur, Luke Donohoe, Joseph Hill, Evan Cisson.
FYI: This is the second year Triad has fielded a team.
Coach’s comment: “We’ve continued to focus on the fundamentals and used them to build on new skills. The players have all taken responsibility to continue to grow in the offseason, and I feel for the 2011 season Triad will be a much better team and a worthy opponent for anyone in the OHC.”
Urbana
Coach: Chad Wells, third season (sixth overall).
Last year: 3-13-1, 2-8-1 CBC.
Returnees: Seniors — Aaron Bowshier, M; Dylan Souders, M; Tyler Spangler, F; Kwinten Young, F; Doug Burkett, M; Jake McCormick, D. Juniors — Brian Walker, D; Mike Biddle, M; Jake Tracy, D; Deryk Fain, M; Matt Pratt, D. Sophomores — Tanner Nichols, G; Devon Burnside, F; Tyler Upchurch, D.
Newcomers: Senior — Austin Caudill, M. Junior — Britton McCreight, M. Freshmen — Kristoffer Hamilton, D; Gage Teach, F; Austin Pitts, D; Austyn Fain, G; Bret Topolowski, G; Austin Curtis, M.
FYI: Young is the top returning scorer. He had four goals and three assists last season. Upchurch started every game at sweeper last season.
Coach’s comment: “We’re kind of a strange mix. We’re obviously returning a decent nucleus of players in our junior and senior classes. We have six or seven freshman stepping into new roles. We’ll be tough for other teams in the league to figure out because we had a lot of movement due to our graduating seniors and ineligible guys and guys choosing to do different sports.”
West Liberty-Salem
Coach: Tim Wolfe, 15th season.
Last year: 11-4-3, 5-2-1 OHC.
Returnees: Seniors — Brad Stengel, M; John Kuntz, M/D; Michael Yoder, D; Josh Nelson, F/M; Josh Conklin, F. Juniors — Grant Burden, M; Corey Lianez, D.
Newcomers: Seniors — Anthony Allen, G; Will Wilson, D; Victor Muchiri, M. Juniors — Jakob Nelson, D; Tyler Levan, M. Sophomore — Dustin Wooton, F/M. Freshmen — Ricky Lowe, F; Eli Woodruff, M/D; Will Hagstrom, F.
FYI: Stengel led the team with 19 goals last season. Burden is moving from the defense to the midfield. Lianez and Yoder are the most experienced players on defense. Allen will be a first-time starter at goalie.
Coach’s comment: “The 2011 version of WLS will have many new faces contributing. Gone is a core of 2010 seniors in which six were three-year varsity players. I am excited about this year’s team. We only return five starters so having everyone else mesh together in the right combinations is a challenge for us. I feel that our team chemistry is very positive, and we will improve steadily as the season progresses. There will be three freshmen that contribute to our varsity team this fall. This is the most in my years at WLS. I expect us to challenge every team we play and be successful.”
Yellow Springs
Coach: Jim Hardman, 12th season.
Last year: 7-8-3, 3-2 MBC
Returnees: Seniors — Wade Huston, F; Jacob Trumbull, M/F; Jake Fugate, D; John Shaw, M; Antone Truss, F; Cole Edwards FB. Juniors — Roland Newsome, F; Gabe Rehm, M; Gage Miller, D; Eli Biggs, M. Sophomore — Eric Lawhorn, GK; Grant Reigelsperger, M.
Newcomers: Freshmen — Eizo Lang-Ezekiel, D; Ian Chick, F; Fielding Lewis, M; Nathan Miller, M; Jared Scarfpin, D.
FYI: Trumbull led the team with eight goals and five assists even though he moved to goaltender the last six games of the season. They lost six starters due to graduation and exchange students returning home. The Bulldogs went 10-1 in preseason tournaments. Yellow Springs will use a 4-3-3 formation.
Coach’s comment: “ We are a young team, but we are mature with the experience we have. We have a lot of freshmen returning who had a lot of club experience. I am please at what I am seeing so far.”