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From the Sports Desk - 11/30/06
Smoky Mountain’s soccer team went 18-4 marking one of the best records in school history during its recently completed season.
The year did end on a disappointing note with a heart-breaking sudden death overtime loss to Madison in the first round of the state playoffs.
Along the way, the Mustangs finished second to a strong Brevard team in the Western Athletic Conference.
“It was an outstanding season from the very beginning, including the off season work and camp,” Coach Dolphus Brown said. “They were such a great bunch of young men. The quality of the men really stands out. They represent our community at a real high standard.”
Brown was optimistic in the preseason.
“We really believed we had a chance to compete for the conference title and obviously for a playoff spot,” he said. “We really believed we had the ability to go deep into the playoffs. Expectations were probably higher than they had ever been. Being in 2-A, thinking a state championship may not have been too far of reach.”
An early season 6-0 win at North Buncombe, usually a solid Mountain Athletic Conference 3-A squad, opened some eyes and gave the team a lot of confidence, according to the coach.
A victory over 4-A McDowell and scoring twice in the last 12 minutes to defeat Tuscola were other highlights Brown listed.
“The Franklin game was huge,” he said of an overtime road win. “We got that win over there with a lot of adversity and rough play. It also took a lot out of us. We got some injuries that hurt us going into conference.”
Brown was pleased with how his team performed late in the year at Brevard. The game had been suspended late in the first half with the Blue Devils leading 2-0. When the contest was resumed several days later, the teams played on even terms.
“The final game had a lot of different aspects to it,” he said. “ Even in the loss I learned a lot about the character of these guys. They left everything out there. It showed so much about their heart, determination and commitment to themselves and each other. It’s unfortunate that sometimes you have to have a loss to show you qualities that are very precious.”
Seniors included Grant Schallock, Joey Cox, Cody Bryson, Zack Christy and John-Luke McCord.
Schallock shattered the all-time scoring record as he finished with 71 goals to break the old mark of 62.
“That’s an amazing feat,” the coach said. “He is such an outstanding person. He’s a great leader in a quiet way. He backs it up with effort, heart and commitment. How do you contain a guy that’s 6-8, who can handle the ball with his feet, has great speed and great instincts on scoring goals?”
Cox also had a record-setting year as he established marks for assists in a season (26) and career (39).
“With Joey, you wind him up and he never runs out of energy,” Brown said. “He’s a relentless, competitive guy who hardly ever gets tired. He made shambles of the season record. He brings so much to the table. He’s a finisher with the ball and a great set-up man. He took corner kicks because he had an uncanny ability to put the ball where we wanted it.”
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anybody improve more than Cody,” Brown said of his goalkeeper. “He’s a real student of the game and his position. It seemed like at some point in the season he got quicker. He really saved us from losses several times.
The conference established the Scott Myers Goalkeeper of the Year award named in honor of the Smoky Mountain assistant who was killed in a pedestrian accident earlier this year. Bryson won the award, and Brown said that was fitting since Myers had coached him.
“Zack was one of the unsung heroes on our team,” Brown said. He helped win the midfield. He took that role to heart and made himself a better player. He’s been a real asset the last two years with his ability to disrupt the opponents’ attack.”
“John-Luke was a utility guy,” the coach said. “He was one of the first players off the bench. He could have been a starter. He played fullback and several midfield positions. He makes good decisions. You could bring him in, and you weren’t going to drop off any.”
Juniors were John Brown, Rob Tyson, David Cheatham, Ian Youmans, Martin Davis, Coleman Morgan, Eli Corwin, and Christoph Henrichs.
“Martin was a dynamic force in the middle with his energy,” Brown said. “He would look for our big guns, but he could also score. He’ll probably be a go-to guy next year on set pieces. He never quits. He’s an outstanding engine in the middle of the field.”
“Rob was our defensive midfielder,” the coach said. “He was solid in the middle of the field. He did more to get other teams out of their rhythm with his play. He was a force in the midfield to win balls and get us into the attack. He also has a great shot. I think he can be a real offensive force from 25-35 yards.”
“David was our left halfback and played some up front,” Brown said. “He plays hard all the time. He does a real good job of helping to advance the ball. He has a good cross, plays hard on defense and works hard to get up and down the field. We look forward to him becoming more of an offensive threat next year.”
“John was usually the first guy off the bench,” the coach said. “He really seemed to give us a lift. I could have justified starting him, but he has a knack of coming in the game and lifting us. He’s a gifted set-up man. He’s going to be capable of getting the ball to our scorers, and he’s capable of scoring.”
“Coleman was our right fullback,” Brown said. “He’s a solid defender on the right side, and he’s also an excellent sweeper. He’s the fastest guy on the team. That’s an unusual quality to have for a marking back. He handles the ball well and usually gets the ball back upfield.
“What a great job Ian did for us at left fullback,” the coach said. “He’ll play his heart out anywhere you put him. He works hard to get better and better. He ended up being an outstanding marking back. He gives a full 80 minutes every night out.”
“Eli was our back-up goalkeeper,” Brown said. “He’s another one of those guys in the pipeline that’s going to move in next year and be an outstanding keeper. He’s very quick and aggressive. We’re extremely confident in him. He could be a field player at fullback. We played him some there, and he did a good job.”
“Christoph was an exchange student from Germany and had never really played organized soccer,” the coach said. “He’s a wonderful guy. He grew up with the sport and knows it. As time went on, he started to improve because he knew what to do. I wish we had him one more year.”
Sophomores were Cort Smith and Matt Dougherty.
“Cort gets better and better,” Brown said. “It’s just amazing. A guy with that kind of size is going to be hard to deal with. We like our sweeper to be verbal. He did a great job directing traffic back there. One of the qualities I really like is he can bring the ball out of the back and advance with it.”
“We can put Matt anywhere on the field, and he’ll do a fine job,” the coach said. “He’s a tremendous young man of great character. He makes great touches and passes. He’s really good at supporting the attack and supporting the defense. He’s a tremendous asset to the team.”
Rounding out the roster was freshman Richard Ramirez.
“Richard came to us with a tremendous reputation from his middle school experience,” Brown said. “He lived up to those expectations. We don’t play many freshmen as an attacking midfielder. He knows the game extremely well. Sometime down the road he may challenge for some of these records if he stays healthy and continues to improve.”
Looking ahead to next year, the coach said, “We’ll lose a lot of offense, more than 60 goals. People aren’t going to expect us to be much of a threat scoring goals, but we’ve got some guys who can step up. We have a chance to be as strong on defense as we’ve ever been. Our possession game is going to be much better. I think the scoring will come.”
As for the conference, Brown said Brevard started nine seniors but will have its best player back along with players coming up from a good JV team.
“Their program isn’t going to dive that much,” he said. “All of the coaches seem to be upbeat about their future. The conference overall should be stronger. I think four teams, or maybe even five could win it. The conference champion could end up with several losses.”
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