|
|
Hillsborough boys soccer preview
 TAMPA
— Upon returning from last season's 1-0 region final defeat at Bradenton St.
Stephen's, a band of Tampa Prep players hopped a couple of school fences by
dark, crept through a dugout and gathered on the soccer field.
Not for a prank, but a pact. In the chilly downtown Tampa darkness, the
Terrapins underclassmen vowed the fate that had just befallen the seniors —
on a 74th-minute goal, no less — wouldn't repeat itself.
"We just looked at the field and said to ourselves, 'We can't let this
happen again,' " senior forward Anthony Baumann recalled.
"And those seniors looked at us and said, 'Don't let that ever happen
again.' The winning mentality here is. Once we win, we expect it to happen.
And the people who left, they expect us to keep the winning tradition."
Whether the Terps can fulfill that vow remains to be seen. Soccer, after
all, is a game of wicked rebounds and wacky deflections. On paper, though,
the 2007 and '08 state champs appear capable of proving last winter was a
proverbial hiccup.
"I think this is actually one of the strongest teams we've had at Tampa
Prep in a long time," said senior forward Wes Sever, a George Mason
commitment.
Four of the top five scorers are back, including Sever and Baumann, who
teamed for 25 goals last season. The defense, anchored by four-year starter
Travis Simmons, is so solid, the absence of a proven goalkeeper doesn't seem
a huge concern.
Impact transfers Alex Politis (Berkeley Prep defender) and Aaron Burrell
(Jesuit forward) further fortify the roster.
"Last year, they got to experience what it felt like to lose, and I think
that's probably a good thing for them," coach Doug Smith said. "Maybe it
built a little bit of a fire inside.
"At least that's the hope."
Teams to watch
|
|
