By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Nixa Eagles stepped up to the challenge after graduating a large senior class in 2023, and the 2024 squad faces a similar challenge this season.
Nixa had to replace 14 seniors and 60 percent of its scoring from a 2022 team that finished 16-8 and lost in the district semifinals. The 2023 Eagles answered the bell by advancing to the Class 4 District 5 championship game before falling to Ozark 3-1 to finish 16-9 overall and 6-3 in the Central Ozark Conference.
“We had an excellent season last year,” said coach Evan Palmer, who is seven wins from No. 400 with the boys’ program. “We lost many seniors from the 2022 team, so to do as well as we did was great.”
This season, Nixa will need to fill the void left by nine players and 76 percent of the Eagles’ scoring.
“With us losing eight seniors and our leading scorer from last year, it will be a transition year,” Palmer said. “It is imperative to find out quickly who can consistently finish for us. With a lot of our defensive players returning and our goalkeeper, we should be able to stay in games and then find the finishes we need.”
Blake Reynolds, senior defender/midfielder – Scored 1 goal with 10 assists, earned Class 4 All-District 5 and All-Central Ozark Conference honors. “Blake was a leader on our back line last year,” Palmer said. “He is a strong defender who can also play in the midfield. He sees the field well as he was tied for the team lead with 10 assists.”
Jayden Tate, senior midfielder/forward – 7 goals, 1 assist; named all-district. “Jayden is a strong, physical player who makes things happen on the field. We will need him to step into a more attacking role this year.”
Peyton Maxey, senior goalkeeper – “Peyton was our backup GK last year. We are blessed to have three excellent goalies. He has great hands and his athleticism keeps improving.”
Aiden Morris, senior defender/midfielder – “We are looking for Aiden to step up into a prominent role for us this year. He can play in the back or on the outside, so he will need to (play) big minutes this year.”
Robert Jordan, senior forward – Leading scorer on JV last year. “He brings a lot of energy into the game and our team will need that, and goals, from Robert.”
Logan Fielder, senior midfielder/forward – “Logan is coming off an injury. He will be cleared by the season, so we hope he can get back on the field.”
Mason Adair, junior goalkeeper – Appeared in 23.5 games, recorded 83 saves with 9 shutouts and 30 goals for a 1.28 goals-against average; named All-District Goalkeeper of the Year and All-COC. “Mason had an excellent season last year. He has excellent technical ability and reads the game well. We will need another great year out of him.”
Conner Shaar, junior midfielder/defender – “Conner was a big key to our success last year as he went from playing where he was comfortable in the midfield to playing on our back line. With him playing in the back, it helped make us into a contender. It remains to be seen if he will play there or in the midfield this year.”
Cameron Abernathy, junior defender – “Cameron stepped up into a starting role on the backline last year and did a great job. Cameron made big strides as a sophomore and looks great this summer. He is a smart defender who is tough to beat.”
Keagan Pycior, junior forward – 2 goals, 3 assists. “Keagan had some injuries he had to fight through, so if he is healthy, he should have a great year. We will need him to score goals for us, as I know he will.”
Jacob Harvey, sophomore midfielder – “Jacob had four goals and two assists last year, which is great for a freshman. He is a smart, technical player who sees the field well. He will need to be a bigger part of our scoring for us to be successful.”
Gavin Shaw, sophomore midfielder/forward – “Gavin started the year on JV but worked his way up to a starting varsity position. His small size was a concern at first, but he quickly showed how tough he is. He is strong on the ball and likes to get forward.”
Sergio Zaragoza, sophomore forward – “Sergio was a swing player but gave us great minutes off the bench. We are looking for him to break out this year, as he is very capable of that.”
Jackson Smith, sophomore goalkeeper – “Jackson was our JV goalie, splitting time with Peyton last year. We brought him up to the varsity at the end of the year because Peyton was injured. He has excellent size and his technical skills keep improving. We have three quality goalies, which is a great thing to have.”
Palmer has two juniors, four sophomores and a freshman who could contribute varsity minutes this fall. In addition, Palmer says there are others in the freshman-junior classes who are “in the mix.”
Malachi Horton, junior midfielder – “Malachi is a smart player; he sees the field well,” Palmer said. “He has improved his speed and agility and he will move up to the varsity and be in the mix for a starting position.”
Logan Huff, junior forward – “Logan has a great left foot; his speed is very good as well. We need him to get that finishing touch, which he has been working on.”
Sam Krans, sophomore midfielder – “Sam will help us in the midfield this year. He is excellent on the ball and distributes it well. His athleticism has improved a lot and he could see a lot of time this year.”
Jackson Lutzke, sophomore midfielder/forward – “Jackson has worked hard and could see some time on the varsity field; a strong, competitive player who knows the game well.”
Gavin Benscoter, sophomore defender – “Gavin played great as a center back on JV last year. We lost some good players in the back and he could step into one of those spots.”
Thatcher Stubblefield, sophomore defender/midfielder – “Thatcher can play about anywhere on the field. He could be our utility player to fill a spot when we need it.”
Spencer Renne, freshman forward/midfielder – “Spencer has come in and been very good so far this summer. He has excellent technical ability, is smart with the ball and can finish.”
Nixa will look to fill the void left by those eight players from the Class of 2024, as well as University of Kentucky baseball signee Caiden Cloud.
Caeden Cloud, senior forward – Scored 22 goals with 10 assists; named Class 4 All-State second team, Class 4 All-Region 3, Class 4 All-District 5 first team and All-Central Ozark Conference first team. “Caeden won’t play soccer this year,” Palmer said. “He has committed to the University of Kentucky to play baseball, which is his first love. It would be great to be so good at two sports! We will miss not only his soccer ability but who he is as a person, as well as his leadership ability.”
Sam Sellenriek, defender – Scored 1 goal with 1 assist, named All-District and All-COC; Lucas Green, forward – 20 goals, 4 assists, All-District, All-COC; Jacob McClain, defender/midfielder – 2 goals, 2 assists, All-District; Ben McGehee, forward/midfielder – 1 goal, 1 assist; Loui Fuentes, defender – 1 goal, 1 assist; Elijah Krueger, defender; Gavin Ward, midfielder; Matt Price, forward – 1 goal.
The Eagles will participate in a jamboree on Aug. 27 at Kickapoo with Glendale before opening the regular season on the road at Columbia Hickman on Aug. 30 and Columbia Rock Bridge on Aug. 31.
“We are excited to play in the new COC with our friends from the OC coming over,” Palmer said. “We already play Kickapoo, Glendale, Ozark and Waynesville. We look forward to playing Lebanon and Central – two teams we used to play but haven’t in a while.
“We will be tested early with our trip to Columbia to play Hickman and Rock Bridge. Chaminade and Marquette come down in late September, then the Kickapoo Shootout is always chock-full of great teams that push us. Those games get us ready for the important games at the end of the season.”
