Mercury-Area Boys Soccer Season Preview

Pioneer Athletic Conference

Boyertown

Coach: Mark Chambers, 1st season
Last year’s record: 3-6-1 PAC Liberty, 9-7-2 overall
Players to watch: Senior Gavin McCloskey. Juniors Ryan Foskey, Landon Wenger.
Outlook: It’s a new era at Boyertown after the retirement of longtime coach Scott Didyoung, who amassed more than 300 career wins (second-best in Berks County history) in 26 years at the helm. Taking over is Mark Chambers, who played collegiately at Elizabethtown and has more than 10 years coaching under his belt, including non-varsity levels at Boyertown. The Bears were off the pace in the PAC Liberty Division last year but will hope that experience gained by younger players can speed up the team’s development in 2018. “All players from starters to bench players need to believe in and accept their roles and maximize their opportunity when they are on the field,” Chambers said.

Methacton

Coach: Dave Stevenson, 2nd season
Last year’s record: 6-3-1 PAC Liberty, 9-8-2 overall, District 1-4A qualifier
Players to watch: Seniors Trevor Rambo, mid.; Chris Meehan, fwd.; Trevor Taylor, mid.; Logan Rambo, def.; Ryan Sheridan, def.
Outlook: Potential is rarely the problem for Methacton. That won’t be the case this year either with a strong returning core of seniors, led by All-Area second team midfielder TJ Taylor. But getting positive results when things count most is what has plagued the Warriors over the years – last year Methacton dropped its last four games, including a virtual PAC playoff play-in game to Perkiomen Valley and a district first round game to Wissahickon. “With many returning players, we have a strong nucleus to work from. We will be competitive with everyone on our schedule and we hope to reverse some close losses from last year,” second-year coach Dave Stevenson said. If Methacton can gain the grit it takes to win the close ones, it has the ability to contend in the PAC and meet the ‘lofty goals’ it has set. “I feel that the PAC championship is wide open this year,” Stevenson said. “There are going to be some very tight, exciting games ahead. I hope this demanding competition sets up the PAC representatives to the District 1 playoffs to make great runs as Perk Valley did last season.”

Norristown

Coach: Roberto Rodriguez
Last year’s record: 0-10 PAC Liberty, 2-13-1 overall
Players to watch: Seniors Kevin Garcia, mid.; Victor Martinez, def.; Rodrigo Zurita, def. Sophomores Estephen Heraldo, def.; Edwin Angel, mid. Freshman Diego Guzman, fwd.
Outlook: Norristown is ready to go toe-to-toe with the opposition and may be better equipped to do so than in recent years if a season-opening 4-2 win over Upper Merion serves as any indication. The Eagles’ up-tempo style means they don’t plan on backing down from a challenge. “I’m happy with what I’ve seen,” Rodriguez said. “We want to push the pace. We want to be attacking all the time, on both offense and defense. The kids have worked really, really hard. They said they’ve never worked this hard before, so that’s good.”

Owen J. Roberts

Coach: Eric Wentzel, 7th season
Last year’s record: 5-4-1 PAC Liberty, 11-7-2 overall, District 1-4A second round
Players to watch: Seniors Josh Fonder, mid.; Dom Carroll, def.; Sam Coroniti, mid.; Sam Smith, fwd.; Beckett Houck, def.; Ryan Walker, GK.
Outlook: If the Owen J. Roberts team that showed up in the second half of last season returns this fall, look out. After a horrendous start, the Wildcats went 10-2-1 in their last 13, were the team no one wanted to face if they’d managed to make the PAC playoffs, and won a district playoff game before running into eventual state champion Conestoga. The bulk of their key players return in 2018, including All-Area first team midfielder Josh Fonder and honorable mentions Sam Smith, Beckett Houck and Ryan Walker. “This is a great group of kids who all get along with each other,” said coach Eric Wentzel, who also spoke highly of the team’s depth. “We really hope that at the end of the season we can be in a position to make the playoffs. We understand the great challenge ahead due to our tough schedule and all the talented teams in our league.” OJR may not be the favorite, but it’s certainly in contention for being the team raising the PAC plaque in mid-October.

Perkiomen Valley

Coach: Bob McCabe, 22nd season
Last year’s record: 7-3 PAC Liberty, 17-8 overall, PAC Final Four qualifier, District 1-4A fifth place, PIAA 4A qualifier
Players to watch: Seniors Matt McCabe, mid.; Brian Love, mid.; Max Chamorro, fwd.; AJ Hansen, def.; Brian Holmes, def.; Sebastian Leyes, mid. Juniors Declan Loughney, mid.; Alfredo Grimaldi, mid.; Mark Pirrone, mid. Sophomores Matt Holmes, mid.; Steve Warren, def.
Outlook: First, the good news: Perkiomen Valley is coming off a year where it went on a stunning postseason run to become the first Pioneer Athletic Conference team to qualify for the PIAA Championships in the largest classification. The Vikings even return seven of 11 starters from that unit, including All-Area honorable mentions Matt McCabe, Brian Love and Max Chamorro. Now, the bad news: the departed four are nearly irreplaceable. Along with the center back pairing of Jake Rogers and Andrew Zielke, PV graduated All-Area first team midfielder Mike Weir, the team’s unequivocal leader, and first team goalkeeper Andrew Daubenspeck, whose excellence allowed the Vikings to ride a defensive, counterattacking style to previously unseen success. “We must continue to evolve as a team, keep an even keel throughout the season, and stay focused on our team goals. We need to study our opponents, play to our strengths, and remain unified through good and bad times,” said coach Bob McCabe. PV has the look of a team capable of contending again in the PAC and for a place in the District 1-4A playoffs. It will be interesting to watch how well the Vikings are able to regain the mojo it found last October.

Phoenixville

Coach: Michael Cesarski, 5th season
Last year’s record: 10-0 PAC Frontier, 19-2 overall, PAC champion, District 1-3A semifinalist
Players to watch: Seniors Jake Perillo, fwd.; JT Stevens, mid.; Yefferson Zacarias, mid. Junior Clay Kopko, def. Sophomore Gavin Perillo, GK.
Outlook: It was practically a dream season in 2017 for the Phantoms, going undefeated through the Frontier Division and becoming the first small-school division team to win the PAC championship. The season ended abruptly in the district semifinals, but Phoenixville will hope a season with so much winning will have a carry-over effect. They’ll need to do it without reigning All-Area Player of the Year Kyle Tucker (Drexel), first team defender Blake Ericksen and a quality Class of 2018. A handful of strong players return though in All-Area second team defender Clay Kopko and honorable mentions Jake Perillo and JT Stevens. That said, there’s a lot to reestablish for the Phantoms. “We must find consistent goal scorers and mesh together a brand new back four this season,” said coach Mike Cesarski. Phoenixville should be among the Frontier’s best and going for returns in the PAC and district playoffs.

Pope John Paul II

Coach: Tom Csongradi, 5th season
Last year’s record: 5-5 PAC Frontier, 8-12 overall, District 1-3A quarterfinalist
Players to watch: Seniors John Wagner, GK; Zach Murtaugh, def.; Matt Moroz, def.; Salvy Marano, mid.; AJ Williams, mid. Sophomore Declan Kennedy, fwd. Freshman Justin Russel, fwd.
Outlook: High-scoring games may not be the norm for Pope John Paul II this fall. Senior goalkeeper John Wagner impressed in the net a year ago and has some continuity on the back line. Goals coming offensively present a different challenge after All-Area first team forward Colin Flanegin (26 goals, 6 assists) graduated and the Golden Panthers are looking for two underclassmen to lead the line. Last year’s eight-win season was PJP’s best to date but coach Tom Csongradi hopes it becomes the new normal. “Team skills are coming along and the team is playing well together,” said Csongradi. “They must continue to gel with each other to overcome the level of competition that we face.”

Pottsgrove

Coach: Jay Witkowski, 15th season
Last year’s record: 4-5-1 PAC Frontier, 8-10-1 overall, District 1-3A qualifier
Players to watch: Seniors Charlie McAllister, mid./def.; Sebastian Paez, mid. Juniors Ryan Curnew, mid.; Collin Deckert, mid.; Ethan Pace, fwd. Sophomores Shane Gleason, def.; Luke Kaiser, goalkeeper.
Outlook: Pottsgrove was unceremoniously knocked from its annual perch atop the PAC Frontier Division in 2017, enduring a season filled with growing pains for a very young team. The Falcons will hope the lessons of the past pay off this fall. It’s still far from a senior-laden lot but with 14 varsity players returning, rookie mistakes won’t be an excuse. “The core of this year’s team should understand what it takes to compete in the PAC and District 1,” said Falcons assistant Jeff Erb. “This young team must find its identity earlier and learn to play as a cohesive unit.” The expectation this fall is to improve on last year’s uncharacteristic mark and get back into contention in the PAC and District 1-3A races.

Pottstown

Coach: Manuel Paez, 3rd season
Last year’s record: 0-10 PAC Frontier, 0-16 overall
Players to watch: Senior Jahyre Graves, def. Junior Demond Thompson, fwd. Sophomore Emanuel Tamayo, mid.
Outlook: The Trojans already had a tough time last time and graduated 11 seniors in the offseason. It’s a rebuilding season with Pottstown expecting to start a handful of freshmen. Paramount will be ‘keeping a positive attitude,’ according to coach Manny Paez. “Playing to the end and staying together as a team (will be important).” With so many underclassmen expected to contribute, keeping the long view will help the Trojans through what could be a difficult season.

Spring-Ford

Coach: Brent Kissel, 3rd season
Last year’s record: 9-2-3 PAC, 13-4-4 overall, PAC finalist, District 1-4A qualifier
Players to watch: Seniors Sal Ibarra, mid.; Johnny Guimaraes, mid.; Ray Fortebuono, GK; Gabe Locke, def.; Aiden Hudon, def. Juniors Colin Trainor, fwd.; Brett Gulati, fwd.; Evan Hang, fwd.
Outlook: There’s a lot of like about the Rams in 2018, thanks in part to what wasn’t to like about 2017. Spring-Ford had a sparkling regular season before things became derailed, losing the PAC championship to Phoenixville and going out of districts in the first round as the No. 6 seed. With that motivation and a strong returning cast led by All-Area second team forwards Colin Trainor and Brett Gulati, plus the midfield tandem of seniors Sal Ibarra and Johnny Guimaraes, Spring-Ford is primed to finish what it started a year ago. The Rams also get a boost from the addition of senior goalkeeper Ray Fortebuono, who previously played at the academy level with Continental FC. That will help make up for the departures of All-State midfielder Ronnie Minges and All-Area first team center back Cole Dampf. Understandably, the Rams are out to prove themselves. “(The Rams) don’t want to look ahead but are eager for a chance to prove they can win in the postseason,” coach Brent Kissel said. Talented and motivated are two good attributes to have when contending for a league championship and Spring-Ford has both.

Upper Merion

Coach: Tom Dodds, 25th season
Last year’s record: 9-10-1 overall, District 1-3A qualifier
Players to watch: Senior Trevor Looby, mid. Juniors Sam Tepe, mid.; Carlos Garcia, mid.
Outlook: Upper Merion got a taste of the postseason in the PAC and District 1 a year ago but will have to find a number of new additions to fill in around standout midfielder Trevor Looby (All-Area second team). “We are a young and inexperienced varsity team but have a group of high character student-athletes who will give their best efforts,” coach Tom Dodds said. “It will be enjoyable to work with this group and to help develop them.” The Vikings appear capable attacking but will need to become a team that’s tough to break down, which UM developed into down the stretch a year ago.

Upper Perkiomen

Coach: Kyle Fisher, 5th season
Last year’s record: 3-7 PAC Frontier, 4-13 overall
Players to watch: Seniors Ian Costanzo, fwd.; Tyler Raymond, mid.; Nick Mattson, def.; Mike Sitko, fwd. Junior Patrick McHale, GK. Sophomores Cole Kendra, mid.; Jack Cupitt, def.
Outlook: Upper Perkiomen appears poised for improved results in 2018 while looking to build on the three-game winning streak it closed 2017. There’s continuity with a number of multi-year starters, ‘a solid midfield and defense’ and ‘experienced attack’ according to coach Kyle Fisher. The target is to reverse last year’s goal differential (26 scored, 36 conceded) – if the Tribe do that, the results will take care of themselves.

Others

Daniel Boone

Coach: Kevin Morris, 2nd season
Last year’s record: 5-5 Berks I, 7-11 overall
Players to watch: Seniors Cooper Duffie, def.; Collin Barndt, def.; Evan Trani, GK; Jordon Guest, def.; JD Mayberry, def.; Kevin Morris, fwd.; Liam Hurley, def.; Rafael Aidukis, mid. Juniors Aden Slifer, mid.; Caleb Rahn, fwd.
Outlook: Daniel Boone is hoping to make the most the underdog role. The Blazers have designs on getting things in the right direction after following up state-tournament qualification in 2016 with a 7-11 mark a year ago. Three-year starters Cooper Duffie and Collin Barndt will be looked upon to lead Boone, which is the smallest school in District 3’s Class 4A field this year. “Our attack will have to show much improvement from a year ago to compete with the larger schools on the schedule,” coach Kevin Morris said. Morris sees Berks County as ‘wide open with several teams having the ability to take home the championship’ and hopes his Blazers can be in that conversation.

The Hill School

Coach: Chris Drowne, 13th season
Last year’s record: 13-6 overall, Mid-Atlantic Prep League runners-up, PAISAA tournament finalist, International Cup finalist.
Players to watch: Seniors Euan Forrest, def.; Hale Lombard, mid./fwd.; Aidan Sullivan, def.; Chance Antonio, def. Juniors Zach Barrett, fwd./def.; Josh Shepherd, fwd.; Jordan Mugisha, mid./fwd.
Outlook: The Hill School hopes a sturdy foundation will be what it takes to get it back to its trophy-winning ways after settling for second in the MAPL and PAISAA tournament in 2017. Eight lettermen return, including the entire back line and most of the midfield. Most notable is the return of senior center back Euan Forrest, the only 2017 Mercury All-Area first team selection back in ‘18. Forrest, who is on the Top Drawer Soccer preseason All-America Watch List, will bring quality and leadership to a group that should be a presence defensively despite Hill’s daunting schedule. “Returning our entire back line from last year hopefully will give us time to grow in the midfield and up top, not to mention a base from which to weather the early-season matches,” coach Chris Drowne said. “As always, we expect to compete for both the MAPL and PAISAA titles, recognizing how challenging that is year in and year out.” If Hill can find the goals, it should be right back pushing for the trophies that have become the norm for the Hill boys’ program.