By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Coming on the heels of a third-place finish in Class 2, the 2019 season got off to something of a slow start for the Monett boys soccer team.
The Cubs lost four-straight games at one point and found themselves sitting at 3-5 midway through September. But Monett went on to win eight of its next 10 games en route to a 16-11 season that culminated with the program’s eighth-consecutive district championship.
“We started kind of slow and we picked up after the second game of the season and more by the third,” head coach Cristobal Villa. “We started to click together as a team. We had our ups and downs but obviously we had a good, competitive schedule in front of us. I knew we had some tough teams to play. Overall it was super exciting for the boys coming together and finishing the season. Obviously the last game against Pleasant Hill (a 1-0 loss in two overtimes in the state tournament) wasn’t the game we were looking forward to lose but things happen.”
Monett graduated a class of 12 seniors after last season that included midfielder Loger Rodriguez, a second team All-State honoree and first team Big 8 pick who was the conference co-player of the year; midfielder Joey Semerad, a second team Big 8 player and forward Gerardo Patiño, another second team Big 8 selection.
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Such a senior-heavy group, and the chemistry that came with it, will be tough to replace.
“And most of them were starters,” Villa said. “We definitely are going to miss them and that’s going to be the hardest part is replacing every kid in every position. If we’re talking about three or four players we can manage that no problem but replacing 10 or 11 starters, that’s the reason I say we’re going to have a new look on the field just because there’s going to be new faces and new kids stepping up in those positions.”
The Cubs have between 32 and 38 players coming out this year. Villa said for the first time in several seasons he feels like he’s starting from square one this fall.
“Back in like 2013 we started fresh with a lot of young, new kids,” he said. “They were hungry to play and that’s always exciting for us coaches. It’s definitely a challenge we’re going to be having this year and we’re still not looking to back down from anything. We want to play competitive soccer. We have to get the kids to where they need to be to compete.”
Senior Joshua Patiño is the team’s only returning starter. He was a second team Big 8 player as a keeper last season. He’ll be a captain this year. Senior Jony Perez is also back after earning first team all-conference honors but he missed a lot of last season with a knee injury. Several others also return after playing a lot of minutes at the varsity level.
Defenders include Lizandro Villa, an honorable mention Big 8 player; Eduardo Trujillo and Da Win, a first-year player last season who earned honorable mention Big 8 honors and has “really surprised” the coaches. Trujillo was a midfielder the last three seasons.
“I just have to find another player to get the right hand side for us,” Villa said.
The midfield consists of Eduardo Rodriguez, Alexis Ramirez, Ti Reh, Roberto Perez, Sao Doh, Ezequiel Ceceñas, Dominique Neni, Mu Ku and Edgar Salas.
“(Rodriquez knows that position really well,” Villa said. “He had good, quality minutes last year and played some really good games against really competitive teams.”
Ramirez, a sophomore who was a junior varsity starter last year, is the player who has surprised the coaching staff the most this summer with his work ethic and conditioning.
“We’ve seen a completely different player than last year and as young as he is he is very hungry,” Villa said.
Perez is a sophomore who’s played some good minutes and Reh is a newcomer with great speed who can finish well. He should see a lot of minutes.
The team’s group of strikers includes Jony Perez, Soe Reh, Jose Hernandez, Alejandro Garcia, Devin Kyle and Lizandro Villa.
Reh, a senior, is back after missing his junior season.
“He’s a complete player,” Villa said. “Talented, smart, strong and being a senior definitely helps. We’re looking forward to seeing him play for the first time this year.”
Perez scored nearly 20 goals last season and will be a full-time starter this year. Garcia will also start; he was injured at the start of last year and returned in time to score three goals in two games at the end of the season. Hernandez is a senior who will be fighting for a spot on the field.
The team also figures to utilize Cade McCullough somewhere on the field.
Villa said possession of the ball should be a strength of the team and scoring shouldn’t be a problem. An offensive-minded coach, Villa and his staff are focusing right now on defending and possessing.
“We need to keep passing, keep possession of the ball and I think that’s going to be a strength,” he said. “We can pass the ball, we’re not afraid of making plays and trying new things. We’ve got to keep the ball moving all the time and possess it as much as we can.”
The team’s chemistry remains a question mark until the season gets going.
“Are we going to work together, are we going to understand ourselves on the field?” Villa said. “That’s the only thing I think is going to take us a little time to adjust. Obviously when we play our rivals everybody has their own style and we need to find our style as soon as possible. I want them to understand they need to play the way the coaches want them to play and find our style, find our comfort zone. I think having so many different players on the field for the first time or as starters, they’ve got to get confidence in what we’re doing.”
Monett’s run of district titles is hanging over the team and the Cubs’ senior class is already talking about keeping the streak alive.
“That’s already on their mind, that’s something we have to have every single year regardless of the players we have and the competition we’re going to be facing,” Villa said. “District is a must.”
