Dylan Harris, a 2006 graduate of Katahdin Area High School, is taking over the Cougar soccer program from Phil Faulkner. It is Harris’ first time coaching varsity soccer, although he did coach junior high soccer in Woodland for four years.
“My outlook for the season is getting experience for our youth,” Harris said. “I also want to build and add stability and consistency to the program that has had struggles over the past few seasons with retaining coaches and having enough players to field a full team. I’ve been telling the boys that they should be striving to get better each day individually to better the team.”
Last season, the Cougars played several games with no substitute players on the bench. The team struggled through a 1-13 season.
Coach Harris said his team’s strength is its willingness to learn and adapt on the soccer field.
“They are very coachable and are anxious to get the games started to help improve on the season they had last year on and off the field,” Harris said. “I’m still learning about the boys’ strengths and weaknesses and they are still learning my coaching style as well.”
The coach said he plans to work on increasing team chemistry, do a better job of distributing the ball on the field and to find new and creative ways to get some wins.
The Cougars are young with just one senior on the roster, which could bode well for the future of the program. The team includes senior Devin McGraw; juniors Chase Tapley, William Schilkowski, Rig Otero and Tanner Lane; sophomore Evan Tapley; freshmen Blake Howes, Garrett Hamm, Caleb Giles, Bradley Manzo, Jacob Lane, Bryce Sinclair and Jeremiah Rodgerson; and eighth-grader Bradley Hotham.
“We are a very young team and with this youth we hope to improve our individual skills over the course of the season and maybe surprise some people with the youth that we have,” the coach said.
Katahdin opens its season Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 3:30 p.m. on the road against Southern Aroostook.
