Spartan Boys 2004 Season Preview
Germantown, OH (August 24, 2004) As experience goes, the Spartan boys' soccer team just keeps moving up. At this time last year, Coach Devin Stoutenborough and assistant coaches, Jeff Hill and Kevin Phillips, were in the midst of working on building their young players into more experienced ones. As they enter this season that building process is beginning to payoff.
"I am very confident. I think we could be on an up swing," Stoutenborough said.
You can see just how much experience these boys have gained, by looking at their dedication during the summer months.
"Obviously we have had an active preseason, accumulating a record of 9-3-3. Out of those games, we were 2-1-1 against Division I schools. I believe 30 people participated during the summer. We have 32 on the roster this year, so that speaks to the teams' dedication" Stoutenborough stated.
The Spartans did lose six seniors (Nick Eby, Justin Stiver, Michael Brandon, Dustin Midkiff, Daniel Kerns and Brian McCarten) from last year ultimately paving the way for this year's crop of seniors to fill those leadership spots.
Seniors this year include: Jordan Donson, Damon Riegel, Nick Alspaugh and Kyle Scarberry. Stoutenborough feels that this group of seniors can get it done.
"We lost six seniors, but we have four returning juniors from last year and they will all bring their own stuff to the field. Kyle (Scarberry) is a strong player all a round and Riegel plays rock solid defense," noted Stoutenborough.
Donson will be a sight to see this year, as has continued to develop into a better keeper over the past three years.
Juniors and now three-year letter winners, Ryan Peck and Zach Munch also return to help the Spartans push towards their ultimate goal of winning the SWBL.
Three sophomores, Ryan Dalton, Jamie Bisceglia and Karl Staiger, will be playing with the varsity squad and are all returning letter-winners who also bring a year's more of experience to the field for 2004.
Stoutenborough feels that the boys are ready to get the season going and have been for clearly some time now.
"I think they have been ready since the Ohio Cup on July 24. After that they had to wait two weeks to get started. I think they are just tired of running and conditioning and just ready to play," Stoutenborough commented.
The competition will be as fierce as ever this year. Just as the Spartans gained experience over the summer, so did other area schools.
"Bellbrook and Oakwood have always been some of the top teams, but I think this year a lot of the other schools will also be very competitive. Eaton and Milton-Union should have really good teams and Preble Shawnee would've (if athletics would've have been available for them during the fall term)," Stoutenborough said.
Good Luck Spartans! We're looking forward to watching an even more successful season.
