Young players show improvement

The boys JV soccer squad improved tremendously over the course of the season and finished with a 3-3 record. The squad saw increased numbers and carried 20 players on their roster. That growth allowed the team to play their first full season of 11 vs. 11 in all of their games this year, something that hasn’t happened the last five years.

Senior Dylan Rundle and sophomore Frank Trask were the team’s captains and were on the field nearly every minute of every game. Coach Riley Newport stated that the duo set the tone to welcome many of the new players, some of whom hadn’t played in a few years, or who were brand new to the sport.

“Having Rundle’s four years of experience in the defense and Trask’s work ethic at midfield allowed many of our less experienced players to settle in and develop into their positions across the field,” said Newport.

Jack Berry, Mason Brang, Keegan Kroytz, Dominic Minney, and Dominic Pulver also played on defense.

Newport said, “Pulver ended up being this year’s sweeper and added a physical element to the defense, all while keeping a smile on his face. Kroytz saw minutes both on JV and varsity and was a great complement to Pulver’s physical prowess as a speedy and versatile defender.”

Edgar Buendia, Dugan Draper, Tyler Hamlington, Humberto Huerta, Grayson Humpert, Rylan Holden, Jayce Hummel, Tyson Kemp, Frank Trask, and Carter Van Meter all saw time in the midfield.

“Tyler and Grayson (freshmen) are strong ball-handlers who are continuing to improve in each contest,” said Newport. “Draper added speed to the outside midfield role and was a leading scorer for this year’s team. Van Meter was a last-minute addition to the team, who alongside fellow high school wrestler Kemp, added an athletic element to the team as he was quick to play in any position across the field.”

Forward players included Ivan Alport, Riley Carroll, Mason Dahl, and Jaime Tapias. Tapias was noted as a natural leader, and recruited Alport, Dahl, and Hummel to the team.

Newport noted that Alport and Dahl were new to the sport at the beginning of the season, but by the end had developed into varsity players. Alport was the team’s leading scorer, and could score from numerous places across the field.

“Dahl plays a beautiful style of soccer with great ball-handling skills and excellent vision for the field, and the ability to make difficult passes to his fellow players,” said Newport.

Sophomore Joseph Derksen was the Outlaws’ keeper and averaged nearly 30 saves per game.

“Derksen’s ability to save what should have been clear goal-scoring opportunities gave our team a lot of needed stability and had opposing coaches (and parents) coming up to me after games to compliment his ability to make remarkable saves,” said Newport.

Newport, a 2007 Sisters High School (SHS) graduate, and previous SHS soccer player took on the role as the new JV coach this year. He told The Nugget that the coaches are excited about the strides the JV team has made this year.

“It took us a few games to get going, but we have high expectations for the future of the team, and to see where this group takes us next year,” said Newport

“It was an awesome experience to watch all the rapid improvement of these players in a short period of time,” added Newport. “Additionally, getting to coach my SHS Coach Rich Hummel’s son 15 years after he watched me play felt like things had come full-circle. I am looking forward to seeing the program continue to evolve next year and to see our Sisters community support these young athletes.”