By Staff

Fall 2019 Preview: Rogersville Soccer

By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

The Logan-Rogersville Wildcats were poised for a big season in 2018, picking up some signature wins – including the program’s 100th victory. But then, the injury bug hit.

“We did meet our expectations,” head coach Brett Wubbena said of the 2018 season. “We knew we were going to be pretty good. 2018 was a year that we were able to put it all together, but then due to some key injuries fell short of our goal.

“We beat a really good Springfield Catholic team and also beat Willard to win their tournament – something that we haven’t done before. We had a chance to win our conference but fell short because of the injuries. We had a good mix of young players and experienced players, great leadership, and a lot of love for the game of soccer.”

Even with the injuries, Rogersville finished 14-9 overall and 4-2 in the Big 8 Conference.

But, the Wildcats will have to overcome the loss of a group of seniors that made a significant impact on the program during their career, which includes Ryan Christopher, JD Kennedy, Garrett Vinson, Cavin Terrell, Cody Bledsoe, Justus Roderick, Preston Sleeth and Mason Hale.

• Ryan Christopher, a midfielder, was a Class 2 All-Central/Southwest Region, Class 2 All-District 9 First-Team and All-Big 8 Conference First-Team honoree. He scored 12 goals and collected 14 assists in 2018.

• JD Kennedy, a defender, was an all-district and all-conference first-team pick.

• Garrett Vinson, a midfielder, was named to the all-district and all-conference second teams. He scored seven goals last season.

• Cody Bledsoe, a defender, earned all-district and all-conference honorable mention honors.

• Calvin Terrell, a defender, was an all-district second-team pick.

• Justus Roderick, a goalkeeper, recorded five shutouts on the season.

“For the past four years, I have been able to depend on this group of guys in everything we did,” said Wubbena, who is 109-140-0 with the boys’ program. “Any open field, field maintenance or whatever we did, this group was willing to participate. They were excellent leaders and a lot of fun to be around. This group brought us out of a tough time that we had in our program history and brought it excitement.”

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Wubbena will look to a solid group of returning players to continue Logan-Rogersville’s success.

• Austin Revels, a senior midfielder/forward, was an all-district honorable mention selection, who scored 12 goals and had 15 assists on his way to breaking the Wildcats’ record for assists in a season (22). He is on pace to break the career assist mark. “Austin is an outstanding all-around player that can see the field and distribute. He can also score goals when he wants to, but I think he prefers the assist.”

• Kyle Carter is a senior midfielder. “Kyle is a big, physical player that is outstanding with his head.”

• Stephen Terrell, senior midfielder/defender, “is a work horse that will do anything we need him to do; a great team player and leader.”

• Brayton Knight, senior midfielder, was hurt most of last season. “This year, he is feeling better and will help our team in every aspect.”

• Rylen Ballard, a sophomore midfielder/defender, “is a great defender and midfielder.”

• Sage Ballard, a sophomore forward/midfielder, is a tricky attacker that has a knack for the goal.”

• Jon Fetters, a junior midfielder, “is a fantastic midfielder that can pass and score.”

“Even with the loss of so many good players, I think that we will be fine,” Wubbena said. “We have some work to do, but we bring back some really good players.

“But, we have to find defenders. I have used the same defenders for the past four years and now we will be starting new.”

The Wildcats’ midfield is their biggest strength heading into the 2019 season.

“Our mids can pass and see the field well,” Wubbena said. “They are a lot of fun to watch.”

And, that fun will begin on Aug. 27 when Logan-Rogersville participates in a jamboree at Cooper Soccer Complex with Greenwood, New Covenant and Marshfield. The Wildcats open the season at Cooper against Springfield Central on Sept. 3.