By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
There were a lot of questions heading into the 2019 season for the Greenwood Bluejays, but those questions were more than answered by the end with a Class 1 third-place state tournament finish.
“Last year was special for our team and school,” said head coach Chris Shull, who was named Class 1 Region 3 Coach of the Year (Private School Division). “The improvements we made from the beginning to end was the most incredible. Other than about four positions, we did not have a clue (prior to the season) of who was going to play where.
“As a program, we trudged along in the first phase of the season, moving people around, and found a chemistry of players to ensure our vision of the team we wanted to become.”
And, the key to that success was the Class of 2020, which included defender Josh Henry, midfielder Joseph Rollison, goalkeeper Aiden McQueary and midfielder Branden Broadnax.
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• Josh Henry – Collected three assists. Earned Class 1 All-State Second-Team, Class 1 Region 3, and Class 1 All-District 6 First-Team honors. “Strong in the middle, controls the midfield and a great leader/captain.”
• Joseph Rollison – 18 goals, 10 assists. Class 1 All-State First Team, Class 1 Region 3 Player of the Year, Class 1 All-District 6 First Team. “Strong 1v1 player, very intelligent player, led by example.”
• Aiden McQueary – 11 shutouts. Class 1 All-State Goalkeeper of the Year, Class 1 Region 3 Goalkeeper of the Year, Class 1 All-District 6 First Team. “Aiden went to the final four as a freshman and left his senior year going to the final four. It was amazing watching this guy grow all four years! He was very confident and athletic.”
• Branden Broadnax – One goal, one assist. All-District Second Team. “Hardest working player on our roster. DOES.NOT.QUIT. Players like Branden are why I coach. He gives everything to the team and his school.”
“As a whole, this senior class was a huge part of the team’s success,” Shull said. “I have always said as a coach that I can go back to each season and point out the reason why a season was a success. It’s all about the seniors. The gauge of a great squad is reflected on the senior’s attitude towards the season. ‘Do they take it seriously? Do they include everyone in their goals (not just their own)? Will they lead by example?’ Last year’s seniors checked all of these boxes.”
Despite the loss of the talented and decorated Class of 2020, the Bluejays have a lot of experience returning; experience that Shull is looking to lead Greenwood to another successful season.
• Hugh McWay, senior, midfielder – Scored 16 goals and had 14 assists. Class 1 All-State First-Team, Class 1 Region 3 Co-Offensive Player of the Year, Class 1 District 6 First-Team selection. “Hugh is an incredible player and we will rely on his leadership this year,” Shull said. “He is an excellent fundamental soccer player that is strong on the ball and has really improved on his finishing (scoring). We expect big things from him this year.”
• Zach Bailey, junior, midfielder – Scored 10 goals with five assists. Named All-State Second Team, All-Region, All-District First Team. “One of the most athletic players I have coached. He could literally play any position on the field and excel at each position. He has incredible start-up speed and will be a huge part of our attack this year. He is a dangerous attacker and we have high expectations from him this season.”
• Cooper Clark, senior, defender – All-State Honorable Mention, All-Region, All-District Second Team. “Very strong defender and the person who organizes the team, defensively. A four-year starter and a huge reason why we didn’t give up a lot of goals last year.”
• Gavin Duncan, junior, midfielder – All-District Second Team
• Kyle Holmes, junior, defender – All-District Second Team. “Gavin and Kyle are both similar players in terms of their personality on and off the field. They both are introverts off the field, but are the opposite on the field. They let their presence be known and both continue to grow as players each year.”
• Dominic Polly, senior, defender – All-District Second Team. “New to soccer, but makes up with his pure determination as a player and character as a person. The strides he made from the beginning of the season to the end was incredible.”
• Griffin Litherland, goalkeeper – “He is a goalie but he played the field last season. However, he will step into goal this season to replace Aiden. Griffin will surprise a lot of people with his play. We are very excited to have him lead our team this season.”
New to Greenwood this season is Noah Smothers, who Shull describes as “an amazing midfielder.”
“We expect great things from Noah and he will make a glaring impact from Day 1,” Shull said. “From the get-go, this young man will improve our team.”
One big challenge that Greenwood boys’ soccer will be facing this season is the possibility of moving up a class, based on the merit system the Missouri State High School Athletics Association has adopted. This system, called the Championship Factor, determines classification based on a team’s success.
The first factor is based on raw enrollment numbers. Next, points are awarded to a team’s level of success reached in each of the previous six seasons. As of June 24, Greenwood Soccer’s point total would bump it up to Class 2 competition.
“We won’t know until the second week of the season, but there is a very good chance Greenwood will indeed move up a class,” Shull said. “With this comes new challenges such as tougher competition, a different postseason look, and being able to handle the versatility of the move. Our boys are up to the challenge and we will be competitive.”
The Bluejays should be prepared for the competition as they schedule bigger classes of schools each year. This season’s schedule includes Class 4 West Plains, West Plains and Hillcrest; Class 3 Marshfield, Cassville and Rogersville.
The other challenge heading into the 2020 season is how the Bluejays respond to last season’s success, which starts with a jamboree they will be hosting on Aug. 21 with Marshfield, Rogersville and New Covenant Academy.
“Anytime you come off a successful season, there is always that obvious feeling of wanting to get back to postseason, but we sometimes forget what got us there and teams sometimes come up short,” Shull said. “However, this team works hard and I have no doubt they will remember what it takes to go to the next level.”
