By Chris Parker
Laquey soccer returns six starters and eight total lettermen from last season’s 22-3 team.
Ethan Larson (senior), Donivan Mathis (senior) and Rhyder Martin (sophomore) will be team leaders.
Larson earned first-team all-state honors after he broke out in a big way. The senior forward scored 42 goals to go with 32 assists entering the MSHSAA state record books 15 times last season. He is 48 goals away from tying the career goals record for Laquey.
“(Larson) brings a lot of experience, creativity, and skill,” Laquey head coach Aaron Thier said. “We are looking for him to find a bigger voice on the field and be more of a mentor this season.”
Mathis is the most experienced player for Laquey on the backline at center back.
“With the all-state center back Sam Swihart graduating, we need a new presence to lead the back field, and we are hoping Donivan is up for the task,” Thier said.
Martin will be looked to in the midfield. He was the team’s fourth-leading scorer last year with 16 goals and nine assists.
“I am hopeful that Rhyder can become a valuable leader in the middle of the field,” Their said. “He will have big shoes to fill over the next few years, so he is going to have to grow as a leader quickly and lead by example.”
Martin will also see time at forward along with fellow sophomore Kayden Hendrix.
First-team all-region senior Tristan Carriger will be in the midfield after scoring 31 goals with 20 assists last season.
Matthew Mendoza (senior), Landon Dennis (sophomore) and Trae Benavides (sophomore) all will look for time in the midfield as well.
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Gavin Shaw (sophomore), Taylor Bryant (sophomore), Benavides, Kale Eliott (junior) Aiden Elmoore (junior) and Mathew Mendoza (senior) are all in the mix to join Mathis at defender.
Sophomore Jericho Fowers has the inside track to start at goalkeeper, but three other sophomores are in contention as well.
“Sophomore Jericho Fowers has a lot of potential. He is a big athletic kid. He is very coachable and is progressing towards claiming the starting spot,” Thier said.
Laquey will look to press the issue for 80 minutes while developing chemistry among the new roster.
“Our team’s strength will be our speed of play, our press and our fitness. I believe we will be able to possess the ball at pace, control the game and be able to play the full 80 minutes at full tilt. We will be hungry to score, and patient in defense,” Thier said. “The chemistry of this team will need to improve. We are returning six starters however; we lost some key leaders and players with graduating 11 seniors last year. We have a large sophomore class and they along with the upperclassmen will have to learn to play together and trust one another, in a short amount of time.”
Laquey opens the regular season on Aug. 31 at home against Iberia.
“My expectations don’t change from year-to-year. Our expectation is to win districts, to win our conference tournament, and to compete for a state title,” Thier said. “The boys soccer program at Laquey is coming off its best season in program history, getting into the state record books 43 times both individually and as a team, with a 22-3 record. However, this team is not pleased with the way our season ended with an early exit in the district championship game. It was not good enough for them to have achieved all this and not end it in the state tournament. In my first season of coaching them, the boys set the bar high, with even higher expectations, we will see if the hard work pays off.”
