The Illinois Valley Central soccer team and its nine seniors are ready to get back on the field and make a run for the State title.
This year’s group of Ghosts is led by the senior class of Blake Smith, Jason Batek, Cole Wilton, Brad Schreiner, Tyler Hoffman, Jared Carroll, Matt Welch, Braden McIntyre and Austin Wilhelm.
“The senior class is going to dictate whether we have a good year or not,” coach Pat Sell said. “If they carry themselves well and are leaders, then we should have a good season. If not, then we may be in for a long year.”
Helping out the senior class is a group of underclassmen that will be seeing their first varsity experience.
“I think our underclass group is a pleasant surprise,” Sell said. “We have juniors who will do a great job for us and who can make big contributions.”
Last year, the team’s season ended when they lost to Peoria Christian in the Regional.
“The biggest thing we’re building on from the last two seasons is that we have won a lot of games in the regular season but didn’t put it together in crunch time,” Sell said. “We weren’t able to make it as far as we would have liked.”
To get further in the postseason, the Ghosts will be relying on the talents of their older players.
“I think experience will be our major strength,” Sell said. “I have five or six guys who have been on the varsity team since they were sophomores.”
While experience will be the group’s strength, it may also prove to be their weakness.
“We have six or seven guys in our varsity lineup who have never had a chance to contribute much at the varsity level so it will be interesting to see how they handle it when they get in a game.”
Whether the team’s experience helps or hinders the Ghosts will be determined later in the season.
As for now, the Ghosts are just ready to take the field and play some soccer.
“I think the mentality is that we just want to win something at the end of the day,” Sell said. “They have had great seasons in the past few years but don’t want to rest on their laurels.”
The Ghosts, who finished 16-6 last season overall and 6-3 in the North Central Illinois Conference, next play in the Pekin tournament Friday and Saturday.
