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Prep Roundup
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• Public Schools • Lake Norman High School • top story
2008 Aug-09
Title defense promises to be difficult for LNHS soccerBy Brian Meadows MOORESVILLE—Lake Norman soccer coach Jon Mertes traveled to Statesboro, Ga., on Tuesday. The four-hour trip south wasn’t so bad, but the journey home Wednesday was somewhat difficult to endure. Mertes said farewell for a little while to his son, Ryan, a freshman at Georgia Southern University and member of the Eagles men’s soccer team. “You take him down there and you look back and you see how lucky and fortunate I was these last four years to have been able to coach him,” Mertes said. “I cherished every moment when I did it, dreading when it was over. It hit me. It hit me pretty hard.” Reality also set in that Ryan and the group of seniors last year who carried the Wildcats to prominence the past two seasons aren’t coming back to build on the program’s immaculate run. A new chapter begins for the two-time defending 3A state champions, who are 10 victories shy of breaking the state record for consecutive wins. “We had some great players who moved on,” said senior captain Joe Hughes, who will be shifting from holding midfielder to more of an attacking midfielder. “I think we’ll have players that will step up to the plate and put the ball in the back of the net for us.” Hughes is the only returning starter from the 2007 squad, which last November capped back-to-back perfect seasons with its second straight state title. The Wildcats’ top-six point producers graduated, most notably Matt Foxx, the reigning R&L county player of the year. Foxx pocketed 35 goals, including three in the state final victory, and dished out seven assists before departing for UNC Greensboro, where he now plays for the Spartans men’s soccer team. Foxx was named all-state, as were Ryan Mertes, a midfielder, and Matt Gwilt, who anchored a Lake Norman defense that proved nearly impossible to score on. “We’ve got some good players,” cautioned Mertes, now in his second year as head coach. He served as an assistant before that. “I’m very optimistic about this season after our team camp earlier this summer.” Mertes expects Joe Marshall, a freshman transfer from Hickory, to make an immediate impact at forward. “That was a nice surprise,” Mertes said. “We’re looking forward to having him.” There are still some question marks in the field, but Mertes feels confident about the talent he will send between the pipes. Junior Dalton Bauer and 6-foot-3, 200-pound sophomore Nick Hensley are competing to play goalkeeper. Bauer saw action last year, but mostly played behind starter Tyler Glasco, who graduated. “We have quality keepers, and they’re going to get some work this year,” Mertes said. That stands in stark contrast to the last two seasons, when Lake Norman keepers faced few shots as the Wildcats outscored their opponents by a combined 239-22. Players and coaches alike know many schools hunger to see Lake Norman’s success taper off in 2008. Contributing to the demise would be gravy. “We still have that huge bull’s-eye on our back,” Mertes said. “Everybody is going to be gunning for us. We’re very, very aware of that.” It makes the pursuit of the state record they’re flirting with seem that much more daunting to reach. Lake Norman rides a 56-game winning streak into its season opener Aug. 20 against Statesville. The Wildcats’ last loss came in the quarterfinals of the 2005 state playoffs, when they fell 2-1 to Mooresville. A 9-0 record to begin the season would tie the record, set by Asheville Ben Lippen School, which won 65 straight from 1963-1970. A tie or loss in their first 10 games derails the dream of breaking the record. “We’ll take it game-by-game,” Hughes said. “Of course, that would be awesome if we got it. We’re not going to think about it too much. Every game we’ve got to take serious, no matter who we’re playing, because we’re going to have a target on our back each game.” Bookmarkz |
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