Those methodical, possession-based Kickapoo teams of the past?
The 2016 Chiefs don’t fit that category. Think aggressive, attacking offense and speed.
Rainy conditions didn’t deter the Chiefs as they continued to display their new, up-tempo and attacking style against Ozark on Thursday night. Kickapoo got goals from three different players, including second-half scores by seniors Ian Hansen and Cole Johnson, in a 3-0 home win over Ozark.
“Traditionally, I guess you could call us a possession team,” said Chiefs coach Phil Hodge. “We may not be as much of a possession team this year because we have some kids that can just run at you and score goals. That’s the difference.”
The Chiefs, 5-1 overall, have already scored 25 goals this season. Kickapoo’s lone loss was a 2-1 outcome in double overtime against a Lee’s Summit West team that figures to crack the Top 10 in Class 4 when the first state rankings are released.
Kickapoo has supplemented familiar stalwarts like Hansen and Johnson with speedy underclassmen. Jaxen Riddle, Aiden Bilboa and Deuce Vandaveeer boost the offense, while freshman Cole Pebbles made his first career start at defender.
“With the conditions, we just tried adjusting to weather and playing to our strengths,” Hodge said. “We have a very attacking-oriented squad this year. Some guys that can get the goal. We just tried to play to those strengths tonight with the weather and not play with it in the back and get cute with it, just get forward.”
A hand ball violation on Ozark set up Kickapoo’s first goal of the game, as Bilboa converted a penalty kick in the 31st minute.
Leading 1-0 in the second half, Kickapoo added to its lead with a burst of two goals five minutes apart.
Hansen made a superb play in the 53rd minute as he juked his defender to gain space, then found the lower left inside post on a shot from about 25 yards out.
Five minutes later, Johnson curled a free kick on the far right side of the field from 30-plus yards out that the Ozark keeper deflected, but was unable to record the save.
The Tigers came up frustratingly empty on their two best scoring opportunities of the night. Four minutes into the second half, a ball deflected off a Kickapoo defender and bounced into the Kickapoo box, but Ozark’s ensuing shot that would have leveled the match was well off target.
Later, now trailing 3-0, Ozark had another great opportunity on a counter play that resulted in Elliot McComas and Tanner Shelton getting touches inside the box, but the Tigers’ were denied on multiple close shots.
“We’re going to score a lot off hustle plays and corner kicks,” said Ozark coach Tom Davidson. “When it was 1-0 and we had the ball right in front of the net that we kicked over… if that goes in, maybe it’s a different game.”
Ozark beat Kickapoo 1-0 last season, marking the first victory in program history for the Tigers over the Chiefs. Ozark fell to 4-2 with the loss and enters a challenging stretch of its schedule that includes games against Catholic, Carthage and Nixa.
“In a lot of ways, it felt like tradition kind of got us tonight,” Davidson said. “That’s the one thing about Kickapoo: they’re not intimidated by anybody. They came out and played that way and we’re still searching for that.”
Kickapoo hosts Parkview on Tuesday, Sept. 13 then plays at Glendale on Wednesday, Sept. 14.
Dean of Southwest Missouri soccer coaches honored
In a pregame ceremony, Jose Florez was credited as the man “who brought soccer to Southwest Missouri.”
Now, he’ll have a soccer field forever in his name.
Kickapoo honored its first ever coach, Florez, with a pregame ceremony that include a plaque, t-shirts and the announcement the Chiefs will soon rename their soccer field “Jose Florez Field.”
Renovations to the Chiefs’ current field are expected to begin this fall and finish within one-to-two years.
Florez coached Kickapoo from 1985-to-1991, with many more schools adding the sport soon thereafter. Current Ozark coach Tom Davidson took the Kickapoo job after Florez.
Florez was the first high school soccer coach in Springfield and later coached at Glendale, Central and Greenwood.
