Hampton boys soccer looks to replace, repeat

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, August 23, 2018 | 10:36 PM

Winning teams might feature talent, but Hampton’s established culture of apprenticeship might be the key to its success this year again.

Tasked with replacing a bevy of senior standouts, including the leading goal scorer and goalkeeper, coach Matt McAwley successfully turned over a new batch of seniors into a playoff team. This year features a similar challenge.

“It’s going to be a similar situation where younger guys are ready to step up,” said McAwley, in his seventh year at the helm. “A lot of it is junior talent that was coming off the bench last year that has the experience to succeed. They’re ready to take those starting roles and run with it.”

After a successful transition from all-section goalie Alec Miller to Chad Scherer last year, Ryan Perkins becomes the third senior in as many years to assume net duties.

“He’s been training under those goalkeepers that have graduated,” McAwley said. “He has the knowledge and wisdom he’s taken from them.”

The emphasis on older players nurturing the bench and JV players has paid off for Hampton, as it is seeking its third straight playoff berth after a four-year layoff. Each has been with mostly a different core group of starters, though the experience at midfield is a happy exception.

“It’s awesome to have not only kids that can play, but that’s the environment (off the field),” McAwley said. “It’s not me having to do all the coaching. It’s guys with experience pulling kids aside, helping them grow as players. That happens across the board.”

Rutgers commit Harper Cook, a Riverhounds Academy development product, is ready to assume a leadership role.

“Everyone is having a lot of fun and everyone on the team gets along,” Cook said. “So, it’s easy for a senior or upperclassman leader to grab an underclassman to show them. So when we’re gone, they’re taking that next step.”

“I didn’t get to have him as a freshman,” said McAwley of Cook, who played through the Columbus Crew Academy at the time. “But the past two years he’s grown as a player and a leader on top of his caliber of play. He’s going to be someone who can dominate the midfield.”

He will form an experienced duo with juniors Matt Govi and outside mid Christian Waldschmidt that figures to be the strength of the team.

“We’ve had to replace people every year,” Cook said. “The kids that are stepping in are comfortable, and the upcoming freshmen are a really talented group.”

There has been excitement for this year’s freshman class, as the middle school team went undefeated in just its third year of existence as an official, school-sponsored squad.

Waldschmidt’s brother Evan, a senior, will serve as a key cog on a back line that hasn’t completely materialized.

“He’s taken on that leadership role back there,” McAwley said. “The other three, it depends on the situation.”

The team also will have to compensate for losing leading goal scorer Alex Rhea. McAwley has high expectations for the rest of his forward rotation, all of whom have varsity experience, including seniors Owen Meneilly and Adam Zovko.

“We were running through five guys in rotation at forward last year,” McAwley said. “Losing Alex is definitely a loss, but every single guy out of the other four were contributors. … They’re all hungry and looking to score goals.”

Hampton will have to deal with two newcomers from Class 4A, as North Hills and Kiski Area drop down to their section.

“Those are teams that are used to playing against a higher level of competition,” McAwley said. “They’re going to come down and compete and expect to be one of those top two teams in our section.”

The biggest game changer could be the switch from six nonsection games to four, which allows little room for error and less time for possible rest in games that don’t count toward playoff seeding.

“Every game has that importance and playoff mentality, and we don’t schedule our nonsection games to be uncompetitive,” McAwley said. “But there was more opportunity for guys to get some rest in games that don’t affect the playoff picture. Now, these guys have to be ready for the grind.”

Devon Moore is a freelance writer.

Tags: Hampton