The next soccer season will be here before we know it. Who are last year's stars and players returning for your team. How is your teams off-season conditioning workout plan going? Any very early predictions for the upcoming year?

CovCath returns a solid nucleus of rising seniors who contributed to the state title but what will push CCH to the top of N. Ky is their rising junior class that may be the best in the state. They've not lost a game as freshmen or sophomores while wearing a CCH uniform and combined with the returning players who are currently juniors, they will field a good team. I think Ryle will also have a solid team coming back and should contend as well.

I agree that CCH will once again be a strong team, as GP said... they will return a pretty solid group of seniors to build around and a junior class that has yet to lose their first high school match. I am curious to see how quickly these rising juniors adjust to the varsity level of play and if they can come close to matching the success they enjoyed the past two seasons. Not only did CCH graduate a lot of talent, they will also need to replace a great deal of leadership. I think that this could actually be the biggest hole they will need to fill, if they have their sights set on repeating as regional champs a leader(s) will need to emerge.

 

Like last year, I believe the second spot in the region will be up for grabs. Unlike last year, I do not think the gap between CCH and the next handful of teams is all that wide.

 

As for top returning players, below I have listed the coaches picks for top players in NKY from last season, minus those who graduated. It sure looks like there is plenty of room for a new wave of players to step up.... hopefully some others can offer up who these players will be.

 

FIRST TEAM

F - Adam Snow (Cooper)

 

SECOND TEAM

G - Will Bedel (Ryle)

M - Ian Manahan (St Henry)

 

THIRD TEAM

F - DJ Sanders (SH)

 

HONORABLE MENTION

G - Scottie McQueen (Villa)

D - Mason Sansone (Dixie)

D - Griffin Thomas (Campbell Co)

D - Mathew Barnett (Grant Co)

D - Grant Walsh (Pendleton Co)

M - Moses Bawibiklian (Beechwood)

M - Colton Schneider (Campbell Co)

M - DJ Cooper (Cooper)

Great post @Yellow Card.

I think the 9th region will be very competitive. All of the top teams lost some important players, have some important returning players and like every year, winning the title will, in large part be determine by players yet to be mentioned on BGP. I have heard a lot about the current sophomores, to be juniors at CCH.

"how quickly these rising juniors adjust to the varsity level of play" as YC wrote may be a factor. But the important part of the season does not start until October so "how quickly" is not overly important as long as they've adjusted come October.

 

Have no problem with the list of players YC posted, these players have been recognized by the coaches. IMO players should not be prematurely mention on BGP until they have earned it on the field at the varsity level. If some just start listing names all of a sudden it will become a roster list from each school and not a list of players that will truly have an impact next season. A few "top 10" list on BGP last season grew very quickly to "top 100" list. Hopefully that can be avoided this season, certainly lets not start in February.

Agree with GPR when it comes to creating a top 10 list for the 2016 season. The list last year quickly grew well beyond a reasonable number. I remember several names being thrown out early on, and a large number, for whatever reason, were not selected to one of the squads by the coaches at the end of the season

Very very new to HS Soccer. I love how insanely passionate people are on here over it. I will say that the few games that I saw last year were all interesting. In watching the Birds, I noticed Colton Wagner (I believe that that is his last name). He was overshadowed due to his unselfishness of playing where it was deemed that he best help the team. I look at him having big stats this year, enough to be top 10 in NKY. I think that he will be more of an attacking threat and put people on notice. He is skilled on the ball and has size and strength. Dangerous off of the free kick.

The next soccer season will be here before we know it. Who are last year's stars and players returning for your team. How is your teams off-season conditioning workout plan going? Any very early predictions for the upcoming year?

 

Great reading material, at least there was last year.