Area soccer programs ready for 2019 campaign

Since 2013, the road to the Eastern Carolina 2A Conference regular-season boys' soccer title — at some point — has woven through Snow Hill. Greene Central earned a share of the 2018 crown with Washington, which gave it four titles overall after championship campaigns in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Second-year head coach Matt Gnau hopes the trend continues this season.

"I think we have a really good shot," Gnau, whose team punched in 103 goals and beat Washington for the first time since the latest realignment, said. "We've got a good returning squad coming back, (we) just have to fill in a few positions and I think we're going to be pretty solid.

“We want to get back into the playoffs and have a good run, better than we did last year."

Two starters departed via graduation, meaning senior James Acevedo is stepping into the sweeper spot. The outside back remains up for grabs between a trio of players, and the starter might not get named until the Rams' opener against Princeton today. Ball distribution and breakaway speed continue to be constant staples for GC.

Expect the same again with sophomore Nathan Drake and freshman Ariel Nunez in the midfield. Gnau said he can rotate at least six players in any position who can "hold their own with anyone any where." Nunez helped lead his PGSA Future Stars Club team to the nationals in Kansas City this summer.

Striker Eduardo Gonzalez will test opposing defenses with his footwork after a five-goal, 11-assist season as a freshman.

"I could brag on every single one of our kids," Gnau, whose senior class played as seventh- and eighth-graders for him at Greene County Middle School, said. "I think they're up there with the best in our conference."

Shivar Person finally has what he's missed the past three seasons — an upperclass-led team — at Arendell Parrott Academy. A total of 15 letter-winners return off last year's squad that made a first-round appearance in in the independent schools association playoffs. The Patriots played a challenging, brutal schedule stocked with physical, quality opposition that left them a little battered and bruised.

That didn't affect their egos.

"We've got a group that's hungry to succeed and do well throughout the season," Person, who guided the Patriot girls to the 3A state crown last spring, said. "We do believe we've got the capability to put together some strong results against good teams. We do like to challenge ourselves, play a schedule that might not translate into a 20-win season, but believe that we play teams that are going to help us get into the playoffs."

So far in 2019, Parrott has dropped decisions to Fayetteville Academy, the 2A state champ a year ago; and Wayne Country Day, a 2A state semifinalist in 2018.

The Pats own a victory over Fayetteville Village Christian. While losses don't sit well with the uber-competitive Person, he said the team is making good strides and appears headed in the right direction. Person expects good things from the talented quartet of Harris Barker, Kolby Jones, George Dismukes and backline anchor Richard Williams. Barker rang up a team-best 11 goals last season, while Jones and Dismukes shared the team lead in assists with seven apiece.

Ayden-Grifton hasn't advanced to the postseason since 2013. Second-year head coach Jeff Stelly thinks that absence could end on the pitch in Littlefield this fall. Seven starters return for the Chargers, whose 2018 senior class built a foundation through desire and determination to help elevate the green and gold among the Eastern Carolina's elite teams.

"Last year, we had a hungry senior group that brought in the attitude of we're tired of losing, let's go out there and do what we can to get this program on the right track," Stelly said. "What happens this year is due to the seniors last year and the seniors this year.

“The mentality of this team has changed. Now, we just need to go out and show it."

Senior midfielder/striker Axel Hernandez punched in 19 goals last season and earned a nod on the all-conference squad. A 5-foot-10 speedster, he's a defender's nightmare since he has the capability of scoring from anywhere on the field.

In goal is 6-5 behemoth Alex Nichols, who corralled 172 saves in nearly 900 minutes of action a year ago.

"He's gonna be huge," Stelly said of his senior co-captain. "Alex is an absolute monster, voracious competitor. On the field, he's loud and is the kind of guy you need in the goal. I'm so comfortable with him leading the defense, that most of the time he just does it."

Nine starters departed Deep Run in June. That left third-year South Lenoir head coach David Whaley with just eight players, out of 20 overall, who have any varsity soccer experience.

"I do the basic fundamentals constantly in practice and do them every day throughout the year because you have to build for next year, too," Whaley said. “I've also broken down the rules and talked about the responsibilities for each position on the field. [In scrimmages] there have been several new players stepping up and they will get quite a bit of playing time."

Whaley didn't schedule any games the first week of regular-season play to give his newcomers time to acclimate to the pace and physicality of the game. The senior duo of Luis Rodriguez and Esteban Hernandez spearheaded the defense a year ago and combined for just four goals on offense. They will step into the midfield/forward roles this season in an effort to lead a young team that seeks the program's first postseason trip since 2015.

Three-year starter Diego Rodriguez returns in goal. SL opens its season Thursday at Spring Creek.

Before Hurricane Florence devastated Eastern North Carolina last September, North Lenoir sailed to an 8-1-0 record — its only loss to eventual 2A state champ Clinton. The Hawks spiraled downward and finished 13-7-0.

"[After Florence] our chemistry was never the same," fourth-year NL head coach Chris Evans said. "It's a new year and hopefully nothing like that comes up to where we have to stop if we're playing well."

Despite the loss of their entire back line, the Hawks have a nucleus of seniors — nine to be exact — who joined Evans during his first season on the sideline. They've grown up in his system and are ready to earn the program's second Eastern Carolina 2A crown since 2017. Two juniors and two seniors are filling in positions on the revamped back line. They'll undoubtedly listen to their general, third-year goalie Orlando Gallardo.

The senior racked up 170 saves in 1,500-plus minutes last season. Evans expects senior Taiwan Hines to control the midfield. The striker set the single-season record for goals (35) as a sophomore and punched in 28 a year ago. Four-year starter and captain Jose Sanchez, junior Luis Cordova and senior Jerrin Howell are key pieces to the Hawks' success.

Howell has been described as a "quiet assassin" on the field at times.

"Now they're seniors and leaders," Evans said. "I hope that with the experience that we do have, they can hurry up and gel with those young guys who have moved up, and just don't have that experience yet."

Youth reigns at Bethel Christian Academy as there are no seniors on the roster. Two juniors are expected to provide leadership to a group of underclassmen that include two sophomores, two freshmen and a crowd of seventh- and eighth-graders. The top two scorers graduated.

First-year head coach Nathan Pridgen is looking for eighth-grader Josh Banks to light up the scoreboard this season. Aiden Smith and Logan Alphin should emerge as the defensive anchors. Mason Stroud and Drew Tilghman are responsible for distribution from the midfield.

Manning the pipes are goalies Caleb Pridgen and Jackson Cannon. BCA kicks off the season Tuesday at home against Greenville Christian in N.C. Christian Schools Association 2A District 4 play.

Kinston athletics director Ryan Gieselman said that the program's status remains up in the air for right now. The Vikings played just a conference schedule in 2018.