By Brock Sisney (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
ANDERSON — The McDonald County Mustangs seem to be a boys soccer program on the rise under head coach John Delatorre.
The Mustangs finished 9-9 last season, their most wins in school history, and have recorded 17 wins during Delatorre’s first two seasons.
Season Three will certainly present some challenges.
“We graduated 11 seniors from last year’s team,” Delatorre said. “Seven of those seniors were consistent starters for our varsity lineup. That being said, we are going to have a lot of open spots to fill on this year’s team and expect quite a few returning players and incoming freshmen to fill those holes. We will look to these guys, along with our returning starters, to lead us this season.
“Our goals for this season are to keep improving as student-athletes and as a program. Over the last two years, we’ve had higher team GPAs and have exponentially improved as students in the classroom and that has replicated to success on the field. We have, I believe, become a team that can compete toe-to-toe with some of the best teams around the Southwest Missouri area and although we’ve graduated some important players, our expectations will remain the same and we expect to compete at a high level this season. To be successful this season we will need to stay healthy, stay academically eligible, stay positive, and believe in ourselves and our ability.”
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Among those players who graduated are forward Eh Doh Say and midfielder Jeobany Marcos, both of whom earned all-Big 8 Conference honors (Say first team, Marcos second).
Returning starters for the Mustangs are senior Irael Marcos, sophomore Rony Lopez, senior Douglas Lopez, junior Julis Quetzecua, and junior Richardo Salas. Alexis Diaz, Alexis Pedrosa, Melvin Ordonez, Eh Htoo, and Karlo Barreda round out the returning players from last season and they are expected to crack the starting lineup this season.
“Irael Marcos, Alexis Pedrosa, Ricardo Salas, and Julis Quetzecua are four players who I have come to know very well in my time here as head coach,” Delatorre said. “All four are hard-working, high-character students who will lead this team on and off the field, and get great respect and acknowledgement from their teammates.
“This season our strengths will be our work ethic, our attitude, and our fitness. We graduated some very important players and will have a lot of holes to fill in our lineup and will be a little experienced this season, but we believe this team has the work ethic and attitude to find some success.”
The Mustangs open their season Sept. 1 in the Cassville tournament and the Mustangs have started their season in Cassville since the McDonald County boys soccer program debuted in 2015.
“COVID-19 has impacted us just as it has everyone else around the area,” Delatorre said. “We lost offseason months this spring that we had big plans for, we have had difficulty getting players to practice this summer due to the virus and due to transportation issues, and these problems will more than likely follow us throughout the season, so we will do what we can to stay healthy and stay positive.”
