By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The long wait is over – opportunity has arrived for a new cast of Nixa Eagles.
Nixa soccer coach Evan Palmer said the 2023 Eagles are eager to prove themselves on the varsity stage.
“Our returning players are hungry. They had to play behind the graduated seniors for three years,” Palmer said. “This offseason, we talked about how it’s their time to shine and make the most of it.”
After graduating over 60% of its scoring from last season, Nixa faces major lineup changes.
The biggest question: Who can step up and score goals?
“We only have three returning players with (varsity) goals, so (scoring) is a big focus for our team,” Palmer said.
Nixa welcomes back nine players who saw regular varsity action a year ago.
In the senior class, Sam Sellenriek is Nixa’s lone returning starter along the backline.
Sellenriek (one assist, 17 blocks last season) will provide a steady presence in the back as Nixa works in three new starters plus a new goalkeeper.
“Sam’s a solid, strong defender. We’ll not only need great defending from him, but leadership as well which I know he can do,” Palmer said.
Forward Lucas Green (seven goals, seven assists) is one of Nixa’s top returning scorers.
“He’s an excellent wing player with great touch and vision,” Palmer said. “We’ll need more goals and assists from him this fall.”
The Eagles will also look for increased production from fellow seniors Jacob McClain (defender/midfield) and Ben McGehee (forward/midfield)
“Jacob’s very mentally tough and can play multiple positions,” Palmer said. “Ben has great speed and vision. He can get forward and put pressure on defenses.”
Three juniors will play prominent roles as well.
Forward Caeden Cloud was one of only two sophomores to earn first-team all-conference honors in the Central Ozark Conference a year ago. Cloud led Nixa in goals (15) and added four assists.
“He’s strong on the ball and a great finisher. His work ethic is excellent,” Palmer said. “He’s an even better athlete this year. Even if teams key on him, I believe he will still score a bunch of goals.
“And if teams choose to double him, this will leave other players open who aren’t proven varsity players yet. After our summer workouts, I am confident our other players will step up and get the goals we need.”
Blake Reynolds (defender/midfield) and Jayden Tate (midfield) will contribute elsewhere on the field.
“Blake gave us great minutes off the bench on the backline last year,” Palmer said. “He is a strong defender who can play there as well as in the midfield.
“Jayden is a strong, physical player who makes things happen when he’s in the game. He’ll step up and start in the center mid position.”
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Sophomores Mason Adair (goalkeeper) and Connor Shaar (midfield/forward) earned varsity minutes as freshmen. Both seem poised for full-time duty this year.
“Mason is an excellent keeper with great size and technique. Teams will be frustrated trying to score on him,” Palmer said. “Connor gave us great minutes off the bench last year but got hurt toward the end. He is a dominating presence in the midfield and can be an impact player.”
Nixa finished 16-8 overall last season. The Eagles have had nine straight winning seasons dating back to 2014, including three district titles and a final four appearance.
Nixa must replace a large portion of its varsity roster. The Eagles graduated 14 seniors overall, five of whom earned all-conference honors or better.
Midfielder Carson Palmer was an all-state selection and four-year varsity letterman. Palmer tallied 13 goals and 10 assists in his senior year – he finished his career No. 10 on the program’s all-time scoring list (36 goals, 27 assists).
Fellow midfielder Colin Cash earned all-region honors with six goals and one assist.
“Colin and Carson in the center midfield had been a constant for us since their freshman year,” Coach Palmer said.
Kaleb James, a defender and Missouri Southern football signee, Zach Naugle (midfield/forward) and Zack Voelker (defender) earned all-conference honors.
Naugle had nine goals and five assists as a senior, pushing him into the Top 15 in scoring for his Nixa career (30 goals, 20 assists).
“(Naugle) was a strong presence on the field and opponents had a hard time keeping up with his speed,” Coach Palmer said. “Kaleb was an excellent defender and great in the air. (Voelker) was an excellent one-on-one defender who could go forward and find players going to goal.”
Andrew Butler (forward) ended up as a Top 20 scorer in program history (27 goals, 15 assists in three seasons), despite not playing his senior season due to injury.
Elsewhere, the Eagles graduated defensive stalwarts Seth Weatherfield (defender) and goalkeeper Logan Elmer (23 goals against in 19 games, 8.5 shutouts).
“Seth was our sparkplug and really could get the team fired up,” Coach Palmer said. “Logan started playing goalkeeper his sophomore year and became an outstanding player there. He’s so athletic and learned the position quickly.”
Also gone are forward Corey Kemp (College of the Ozarks basketball), midfielder Presley Sundy, forward Luke Milam (Baptist Bible College), forward Anshu Giliyaru, defender Tyler Neal and midfield/forward Zach Jones.
To fill the gaps, several players from last year’s JV squad (13-3 overall) are in line for varsity promotions.
Seniors Loui Fuentes (defender/forward), Elijah Krueger (defender) and Gavin Ward (midfield/defender) bring versatility and new energy. Fuentes was the second-leading scorer for Nixa’s JV.
“Loui brings energy and a drive to succeed that his teammates feed off,” Coach Palmer said. “Elijah is a fast and tenacious defender who can play anywhere on the backline. Gavin is strong on the ball and a great pivot in the midfield. He has shown he can play in the back as well, which will help the team.”
New juniors include Peyton Maxey (goalkeeper) and Aiden Morris (defender).
“Peyton’s improved tremendously since last year. He has excellent hands, and his technique has put him in position to back up Mason at goalkeeper,” Coach Palmer said. “Aiden is a solid defender with good size and strength. He could see time on our backline.”
A trio of sophomores round out Nixa’s lineup options.
Cameron Abernathy (defender), Malachi Horton (midfield) and Keagan Pycior (forward/midfield) provide current depth and building blocks for the future.
“Cameron is an excellent defender who has proven he can play at the varsity level. He can play anywhere on the backline, which helps our depth,” Coach Palmer said.
Horton is among the candidates to replace three starters in Nixa’s center midfield area. Pycior led the JV team in scoring last season.
“Malachi has excellent touch and great vision on the field. He could get a lot of time in the midfield,” Coach Palmer said. “Keagan has continued to improve. He sees the field well and makes great runs off the ball.”
Palmer also said “a few” freshmen could work their way into the varsity rotation.
“At this time, it’s still too early to tell,” he said.
Nixa begins the regular season Aug. 25-26 with a weekend home stand against Columbia Hickman and Rock Bridge.
The Eagles will scrimmage Glendale and Kickapoo (host) in a jamboree on Aug. 22.
“We should be able to defend really well and stay in games this fall,” Coach Palmer said. “If we can get timely goals, we have a chance to have a great season.”
