By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
To say the Logan-Rogersville Wildcats had a “pretty good season” in 2023 would be a sizeable understatement.
The Wildcats came up one win short of not only a state championship but an undefeated season as well, finishing 26-1 overall and 6-0 in the Big 8 Conference. Their first and only defeat of the season was a 1-0 loss to Westminster Christian in the Class 2 final.
“We had a pretty good season, making it to the state championship game,” said head coach Brett Wubbena, who collected career win No. 200 on Oct. 12 against West Plains. “We had a great mixed group of experience and new-to-high-school talent. Our senior group expected a lot from the younger players, and they stepped up and contributed from the beginning. We knew last year that we would be good and I think that we learned how to approach the ‘bigger’ games.
“I think we will have a pretty good year again. We have a really good group of players coming back and our team leaders have a lot of soccer experience. We have to find some players to replace our seniors, but last year we had some younger players that were good enough to play but got beat out by some more experienced seniors. As of right now, it’s too early to say much. It has been a busy summer for players and we haven’t had the same summer turnout that we have in the past, so the first several weeks of the season will be really important to figure it all out.”
The Wildcats return a starting lineup full of youth and experience this season led by senior all-state midfielder Conner Stewart.
Conner Stewart, senior, midfielder – Scored 5 goals with 19 assists; a Class 2 All-State second team, Class 2 All-Region 3, Class 2 All-District 5 Att. Player of the Year/first team, Big 8 Conference first team honoree. “Conner was banged up at the end of the year. When he is healthy, there is no one better,” Wubbena said.
Marcus Sirb, senior forward – 3 goals, 2 assists. “So much speed; when he is in form, he is a very dangerous player.”
Noah Jones, senior midfielder – “Always gives everything he has on the field.”
Easton Hampton, junior midfielder – 4 goals, 7 assists; Class 2 All-District 5 second team, Big 8 Conference honorable mention. “Easton is the workhorse of the team; always dependable.”
Riley Hensley, junior midfielder/defender – Class 2 All-District 5 second team, Big 8 Conference second team. “An outstanding defender that is cool under pressure. Now, he has experience in the back and is still only a junior.”
Mathias Nothum, junior midfielder/defender – “(Mathias) has worked hard over the offseason and will have a solid year for us, either in the back or mid.”
Carsen Callen, sophomore – 2 goals, 7 assists; Class 2 All-District 5 second team. “Very dependable; such a team player and you can tell he loves playing the game.”
Dustin Stewart, sophomore – 5 goals, 3 assists. “A very good player, He is going to have a fantastic year.”
Malcolm Jones, sophomore – 6 goals, 4 assists. “Malcolm has been so determined to work because he didn’t like how the season ended. He has been really good this summer and looks to be a game-changer.”
Finley Smith, sophomore – 3 goals, 10 assists. “Fin has the ability to keep practices fun. He (can) take over a game and can score from anywhere… if we can get him to shoot the ball.”
Jason Bevzyuk, sophomore – 8 goals, 5 assists. “Jason is a player that makes the game look easy. He is so smooth. He is always fun to watch.”
Logan-Rogersville has some very big shoes to fill with the graduation of several all-state players including Class 2 Goalkeeper of the Year, Brady Goodson.
Brady Goodson, goalkeeper – Class 2 Goalkeeper of the Year/All-State first team, Class 2 All-Region 3 Goalkeeper of the Year/first team, Class 2 All-District 5 Goalkeeper of the Year/first team, Big 8 Conference Goalkeeper of the Year/first team. “(Brady) has decided to focus on school this year. Brady was a position I never thought much about because he trained all summer. He was so good in the back and now we have to find someone that can try and fill his shoes. If our new goalie is half as good as Brady, we will be OK.”
Stewart McDonald, midfielder – Class 2 All-State first team, Class 2 All-Region 3 Player of the Year/first team, Class 2 All-District 5 Player of the Year/first team, Big 8 Conference Player of the Year/first team. “(Stewart is) playing football at Missouri State University as a kicker. The leader of our team, Stew was our go-to guy and someone that we looked to for confidence and strength. He will be hard to replace.”
Caleb Vogt, defender – Class 2 All-State second team, Class 3 All-Region 3, Class 2 All- District 5 Defensive Player of the Year/first team, Big 8 Conference first team. “Caleb was an outstanding defender. His confidence and speed will be tough to replace.”
Joyle Seu, forward – Class 2 All-District 5 first team, Big 8 Conference second team. “Joyle had a solid year. He ended up hurt and wasn’t playing at 100 percent, but he was still very impactful.”
Clayton McClellan, defender – Class 2 All-District 5 second team, Big 8 Conference second team; now playing at Mission University (formerly Baptist Bible College). “Clayton was a strong defender that really contributed to our set pieces.”
Chase Hampton, defender – All-Academic Team. “Solid defender that read the game really well. His best games were definitely our biggest games.”
The Wildcats will host a jamboree that includes New Covenant Academy, Marshfield and Greenwood on Aug. 23, and opens the regular season on the road against Willard on Aug. 30.
“So much has changed on our schedule because of the realignment of conferences – our conference is brand new,” Wubbena said. “Catholic is always notable because they have been the team to beat in our conference every year that we have had soccer. They no longer are in our conference, but they will still be a good team.
“We are now in the Kickapoo Shootout, so tournament games vs good opponents are always worth marking on your calendar.”
