PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The pieces are in place for a lengthy playoff run for the Presque Isle boys’ soccer team after an otherwise tremendous season in 2021 ended in disappointment.
The Wildcats went 11-0-1 during the regular season and won a quarterfinal match before getting upset by John Bapst in the Class B North quarterfinal round. There is plenty of motivation for the 10 returning seniors and other veterans to make a return to the post-season and advance farther this season.
“The season ended too prematurely for our liking so we want to put ourselves in the mix and be peaking for the playoffs so we can give ourselves a chance to make a deep run,” said interim coach Jonah Hudson, who is being assisted by Jared Duggan and Brian Cronin on the sidelines.
“The only way we can get to where we want to be is by stacking good days on top of each other and living game by game,” Hudson added. “A consistent effort in practice and games will hopefully go a long way for us in this effort.”
The Wildcats will have seven or eight seniors in the starting lineup when the team opens against John Bapst on the road on Saturday, Sept. 3. The defense includes seniors Jack Hallett, Gavin Tawfall and Breygan Mahan and junior Jack Buck in front of senior goalkeeper Michael Langley.
The midfield crew includes seniors Dawson Kinney and Ben Turner on the outside, with junior Jensen Sargent and sophomore Isaac Staples in the center.
Senior Malachi Cummings and junior Evan Chapman are the strikers along with senior Logan Sherman, who also could see action as an outside midfielder.
In backup roles will be seniors Ben Beaulieu and Ethan Carlisle and sophomores Brent Greenlaw, Alex Duprey and Connor Bell. Freshmen Eli Mosher and Camden O’Donnell will play on both the varsity and JV teams.
Hudson said his Wildcats have concentrated on conditioning during the preseason.
“We want to be the type of team that looks as fresh in the 70th minute as we did in the 15th,” Hudson said.
He has been particularly impressed with the team’s size and athleticism, as well as the chemistry the players have demonstrated on the field.
“We have a good balance of players at all parts of the field that are working to play connected soccer with each other,” Hudson said. “Our ability to be physical and be first to the ball should benefit us this season.
“We have a lot of senior leaders that are motivated to be successful in their last season. It will be a process in finding this team’s identity, but I have all good things to say about their efforts in finding that identity,” he added. “Their patience with each other and close-knit nature is refreshing.”
