By Chris Parker

Fall 2019 Preview: Parkview Soccer

By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

The Parkview Vikings made program history with their first district championship, but that accomplishment was no surprise to head coach Shelby Stewart.

“Our team set out to win districts for the first time in school history, so I would say we reached our goal, but also established new goals for the upcoming season,” said Stewart, the Class 3 District 11 Coach of the Year. “We want to advance further than winning districts as a program. Our expectation is to always be competitive and compete for advancement in the postseason.

“(Winning districts) was not necessarily a surprise because our kids worked day in and day out to achieve what they did in 2018. To be able to win districts for the first time in school history was pretty amazing. I felt like our kids were rewarded for the hard work, countless extra hours outside of practice, and determination to get better each day.”

The Vikings, who finished with records of 13-15 overall and 5-4 in the Ozark Conference, defeated Willard 3-2 for the Class 3 District 11 title. But, their postseason run ended with a 2-1 loss to Neosho in the sectional round.

And, the Vikings are going to have to continue working hard to overcome the loss of 10 players to graduation, led by Henry Smith, Devon Rathbun, Jesus Luevano and Antonio Rubio.

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• Henry Smith was an All-Southwest/Central Region pick, Class 3 District 11 Player of the Year and an All-Ozark Conference First-Team selection. He is playing soccer at Southwest Baptist University. “He was able to play anywhere on the field for us,” Stewart said. “Henry was a versatile player that instilled hard work ethic into other players.”

• Devon Rathbun, a four-year starter, was the all-region and all-district goalkeeper of the year and an all-conference first-team selection. He is attending McKendree University on a bass fishing scholarship.

“We graduated a large senior class (10), so we will lean on our youth this season,” Stewart said. “We will be searching for new leaders as well as a new identity throughout the season.

“We will not have a deep bench, so subs will be minimal. We will need to be able to possess the ball and limit turnovers in order to conserve energy. We will rely heavily on youth, mainly sophomores, some freshmen and juniors.”

Returning players for the Vikings in 2019 includes Chance Levings, Collin Miller, Tyler Duchscherer, Silas Allouche and Jakob Nation.

• Chance Levings, a junior, was the leading scorer last year and an all-conference second-team selection.

• Tyler Duchscherer, sophomore, was second in scoring from the center back position and completed 10 of 11 penalty kick attempts in 2018. He was the all-district defensive player of the year. “He is a calm player who will dictate the outcome of every game we play in.”

• Silas Allouche, sophomore, missed a third of the 2018 season because of a broken bone in his leg. “He has a high soccer IQ and will contribute to keeping the pace of our play calm and organized.”

• Jakob Nation, junior, will contribute on the offensive end in facilitating the ball to other players.

“We return several younger players who were able to step up in big moments last season,” Stewart said. “This will help them mature at a quicker rate this season. We also have great composure on the ball, good decision-making skills, and speed.”

Two newcomers that Stewart will be looking to are Liam Hampton and Mylik McKinney.

• Liam Hampton is a junior defender, who played JV last year. “Liam has grown since his sophomore campaign. He has become stronger and possesses great soccer knowledge.”

• Mylik McKinney, a midfielder, is a move-in from Ozark: “Mylik will be an athletic addition to our offense. He possesses soccer knowledge and will compete for a starting spot in the lineup.”

“We will have to have youth step up and become leaders for the team,” Stewart said. “We have one senior on our roster for 2019, so inexperience and leadership are something we will be lacking to start the season.”

Despite the challenge of graduating a large senior class, the Vikings’ outlook remains the same for 2019.

“Our expectations won’t change this season,” Stewart said. “We are looking to compete in each game we play. We want to improve throughout the season and challenge for a spot in the district championship game.

“We are aiming to win a second district title and advance further in the playoffs. We also would like to finish higher in the Ozark Conference standings.”

Parkview hosts a jamboree with Ozark, Republic and Catholic on Aug. 23, before traveling to Monett for its season-opener on Sept. 3.