By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
For the first time in 10 years, the Bolivar boys’ soccer team brought home a district championship in 2020.
The Liberators entered district play with a sub-.500 record due in part to time missed to COVID-19 quarantine but were awarded the No. 1 seed.
“It was a challenge and several guys had to play different positions as we worked through the season,” said Bolivar coach Steve Fast, who enters his 26th season. “October was much better for us, and we were able to have all but one starter for districts and sectionals.”
Bolivar, which ended the 2020 season with a 10-11 record, beat Willard 1-0 for the Class 3 District 11 title and fell 5-0 to Neosho in the sectional round.
“Defeating Willard in the regular season (3-1) and in districts was definitely some of the top highlights of our season,” Fast said. “Willard had a very solid team last year that competed well all year and won a lot of games. Our team seemed to really raise their level of play against them and we defended their high-scoring offense very well.  “We competed well against Neosho in the first half of the sectional, but they were just too much to handle and wore us down, scoring all five goals in the second half. It was a good experience for our guys to reach this game and to see this level of play.”
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The Liberators lose just one starter from last season in midfielder Trevor Nelson.
“Trevor was a hard-nosed player who played with speed and hustle,” Fast said of Nelson, who scored three goals and had one assist. “He did not have a huge impact scoring-wise, but his strong work ethic was a great example for our younger players.”
Bolivar returns three decorated seniors and one junior to the roster this fall.
Luke Richards, senior, defender, earned Class 3 All-Region 3/Defensive Player of the Year and Class 3 District 11 first-team honors – “Luke is a four-year starter and brings a lot of experience to our backline,” Fast said.
River Adams, senior, midfielder, scored three goals and had six assists, and was named all-region and all-district – “River brings passion to his play and is consistently providing our team with opportunities in our offensive third.”
Andrew Lewis, senior, midfielder, scored 10 goals and added three assists, while earning all-region and all-district first-team honors – “Andrew was our leading scorer. He runs the show for us in the middle of the field. He has excellent vision of the field and loves to distribute the ball.”
Trenton Arnold, junior, goalkeeper, had a 1.28 goals-against average and was named first-team all-district and district goalkeeper of the year – “Trevor has the ability to make big saves in big moments for our team.”
Other returning starters who Fast says will continue to make an impact this season include: Lathan Martin, senior, midfielder/forward; Zach Liesen, senior, defender; Noah Tull, senior, defender; Jaren Cleveland, junior, defender; Zach Warwick, junior, forward; and Colin Ames, junior, midfielder/forward.
“These guys are multiple-year starters who will provide another year of consistency for our team,” Fast said. “They work well together and we look forward to watching them compete hard each game. We are expecting a few of them to have breakout seasons for our team.”
The Liberators also have several upperclassmen who saw some action last season and are looking for more this fall, including: Nathan Anthony, senior, goalkeeper/midfielder; Adrian Contreras, senior, forward; Wyatt Calvert, senior, forward; Jeffrey Pastore, senior, midfielder; Colton Rowe, junior, midfielder; Jason Poterbin, junior, midfielder; Jacob D’Agostino, junior, midfielder; and Caleb Simpson, junior midfielder/defender.
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“These guys gained some valuable experience last season subbing in for us and they will play a big role on our team this year as a few of them may start or challenge our starters for playing time,” Fast said. “They can all play multiple positions, which is always critical when dealing with injuries or quarantines.”
This season, Bolivar will be competing in the Ozark Conference and will get an early taste in a jamboree at Lebanon with Camdenton and with Branson, of the Central Ozark Conference, on Aug. 20 or 23. The Liberators open the season at home against New Covenant Academy on Aug. 27.
“Our guys looked solid in practices, camp and summer friendlies,” Fast said. “We had big turnouts and our guys also take a lot of self-improvement in themselves. You can often see a group of them working out at SBU (Southwest Baptist University), in the weight rooms or on the fields.
“We expect to be competitive in every game this year. We want to work on our bonding on and off the field and provide an exciting environment for our parents and fans. We hope to get better at finding a way to win the close one-goal games.”
