Tigers enter season as defending SCOL champs
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
GREENFIELD — When the whistle sounds this Monday, the McClain Tigers boys soccer team will start their journey toward repeating as South Central Ohio League champions.
The Tigers lost just two members from last year's 13-win squad, as head coach Shawn Jackson and assistant coach Jon Chamblin are excited for the prospects for the season.
"With the kids we have coming back, we are confident in the five seniors' leadership skills, and we are going to rely on them a lot this season," Jackson said. "We are also going to rely on a few juniors, but the point is we have a solid team returning, and we want to have another great season."
What will be different about this year will be the fact the Tigers will no longer be the hunter in the SCOL, but the hunted, and Coach Jackson said his players know that fact.
"Our guys know the monkey is on their back," he said. "We are the hunted, and the SCOL will be wide-open like last year, but we do have the leverage as returning champions. We didn't lose a lot in numbers, but teams will be gunning for us. The kids need to be confident and do what needs to be done to be successful."With practice coming up and knowing his team has the target on their back for the first time, Jackson was asked if preparation would change for the 2010 soccer season.
"It will be the same as normal, mostly everything will be the same," he said. "We will stick with what got us there and not change too much. Hopefully what we do and how we prepare for the season will get us farther along in the postseason."
Some of the top returning players this season include: leading scorer Sam Henry, Daniel White (forward), Luis Rivas (midfielder), and on defense, Steven Barber and Shane Hall.
"Being the defending champions is different, it adds more pressure," Jackson said. "It will be different, and just think, Hillsboro was four-time defending champions, so they had a lot of pressure to succeed.
"The kids know what they have to do and know what is at stake."
Jackson wants his team to just take it one game at a time and not worry about being the defending champion of the league.
"I want our guys to come ready to practice," he said. "We are still going to joke around and have fun, but we need to be serious and take care of business early in games. If we do that, every game won't have to be a close as some were last season. If we take care of business early, we can relax some."
Jackson continued to speak about getting the job done early in games.
"It still comes back to getting the job done early," he said. "Last year Miami Trace was right there at the end of the season and the league was left open. We have to do better in the SCOL and not make games a nervous wreck. Also last year, Madison-Plains beat us early in the year, so we have to be serious early in the season.
"All of that basically comes back to taking care of business."
Last year, the Tigers' season ended with a loss in the sectional final to Zane Trace (6-1) at McClain Field. MHS finished with an overall record of 13-3-1.
continued from Page 11
With practice coming up and knowing his team has the target on their back for the first time, Jackson was asked if preparation would change for the 2010 soccer season.
"It will be the same as normal, mostly everything will be the same," he said. "We will stick with what got us there and not change too much. Hopefully what we do and how we prepare for the season will get us further along in the postseason."
Some of the top returning players this season include: leading scorer Sam Henry, Daniel White (forward), Luis Rivas (mid-fielder), and on defense, Steven Barber and Shane Hall.
Last season, the Tigers defeated the London Red Raiders, 5-0 on Oct. 15 at McClain Field to clinch the SCOL title. In that game MHS scored three goals in the first half and two in the final 40 minutes.
"Being the defending champions is different, it adds more pressure," Jackson said. "It will be different, and just think, Hillsboro was four-time defending champions, so they had a lot of pressure to succeed.
"The kids know what they have to do and know what is at stake."
Jackson wants his team to just take it one game at a time and not worry about being the defending champion of the league.
"I want our guys to come ready to practice," he said. "We are still going to joke around and have fun, but we need to be serious and take care of business early in games. If we do that, games won't have to be as close like some were last season. If we take care of business early, we can relax some."
Jackson continued to speak about getting the job done early in games.
"It still comes back to getting the job done early," he said. "Last year, Miami Trace was right there at the end of the season and the league was left open. We have to do better in the SCOL and not make games a nervous wreck. Also last year, Madison-Plains beat us early in the year, so we have to be serious early in the season.
"All of that basically comes back to taking care of business."
Last year, the Tigers' season ended with a loss in the sectional final to Zane Trace (6-1) at McClain Field. MHS finished with an overall record of 13-3-1.[[In-content Ad]]
The Tigers lost just two members from last year's 13-win squad, as head coach Shawn Jackson and assistant coach Jon Chamblin are excited for the prospects for the season.
"With the kids we have coming back, we are confident in the five seniors' leadership skills, and we are going to rely on them a lot this season," Jackson said. "We are also going to rely on a few juniors, but the point is we have a solid team returning, and we want to have another great season."
What will be different about this year will be the fact the Tigers will no longer be the hunter in the SCOL, but the hunted, and Coach Jackson said his players know that fact.
"Our guys know the monkey is on their back," he said. "We are the hunted, and the SCOL will be wide-open like last year, but we do have the leverage as returning champions. We didn't lose a lot in numbers, but teams will be gunning for us. The kids need to be confident and do what needs to be done to be successful."With practice coming up and knowing his team has the target on their back for the first time, Jackson was asked if preparation would change for the 2010 soccer season.
"It will be the same as normal, mostly everything will be the same," he said. "We will stick with what got us there and not change too much. Hopefully what we do and how we prepare for the season will get us farther along in the postseason."
Some of the top returning players this season include: leading scorer Sam Henry, Daniel White (forward), Luis Rivas (midfielder), and on defense, Steven Barber and Shane Hall.
"Being the defending champions is different, it adds more pressure," Jackson said. "It will be different, and just think, Hillsboro was four-time defending champions, so they had a lot of pressure to succeed.
"The kids know what they have to do and know what is at stake."
Jackson wants his team to just take it one game at a time and not worry about being the defending champion of the league.
"I want our guys to come ready to practice," he said. "We are still going to joke around and have fun, but we need to be serious and take care of business early in games. If we do that, every game won't have to be a close as some were last season. If we take care of business early, we can relax some."
Jackson continued to speak about getting the job done early in games.
"It still comes back to getting the job done early," he said. "Last year Miami Trace was right there at the end of the season and the league was left open. We have to do better in the SCOL and not make games a nervous wreck. Also last year, Madison-Plains beat us early in the year, so we have to be serious early in the season.
"All of that basically comes back to taking care of business."
Last year, the Tigers' season ended with a loss in the sectional final to Zane Trace (6-1) at McClain Field. MHS finished with an overall record of 13-3-1.
continued from Page 11
With practice coming up and knowing his team has the target on their back for the first time, Jackson was asked if preparation would change for the 2010 soccer season.
"It will be the same as normal, mostly everything will be the same," he said. "We will stick with what got us there and not change too much. Hopefully what we do and how we prepare for the season will get us further along in the postseason."
Some of the top returning players this season include: leading scorer Sam Henry, Daniel White (forward), Luis Rivas (mid-fielder), and on defense, Steven Barber and Shane Hall.
Last season, the Tigers defeated the London Red Raiders, 5-0 on Oct. 15 at McClain Field to clinch the SCOL title. In that game MHS scored three goals in the first half and two in the final 40 minutes.
"Being the defending champions is different, it adds more pressure," Jackson said. "It will be different, and just think, Hillsboro was four-time defending champions, so they had a lot of pressure to succeed.
"The kids know what they have to do and know what is at stake."
Jackson wants his team to just take it one game at a time and not worry about being the defending champion of the league.
"I want our guys to come ready to practice," he said. "We are still going to joke around and have fun, but we need to be serious and take care of business early in games. If we do that, games won't have to be as close like some were last season. If we take care of business early, we can relax some."
Jackson continued to speak about getting the job done early in games.
"It still comes back to getting the job done early," he said. "Last year, Miami Trace was right there at the end of the season and the league was left open. We have to do better in the SCOL and not make games a nervous wreck. Also last year, Madison-Plains beat us early in the year, so we have to be serious early in the season.
"All of that basically comes back to taking care of business."
Last year, the Tigers' season ended with a loss in the sectional final to Zane Trace (6-1) at McClain Field. MHS finished with an overall record of 13-3-1.[[In-content Ad]]