Boys Soccer Plan To Make A Turnaround

Boys soccer motivated to perform better after 3-19 season in 2022

By Wyatt Hardy

The Sullivan Eagles boys’ soccer team is rebuilding itself from the ground up for 2023. They plan to make a turnaround after playing one of their toughest years in 2022, finishing 3-19. Head coach Brian Immekus, in his second season, plans to add more presence to all areas of the field and tweak position issues they faced last year.

On their performance, Immekus claims, “As a 3-win team last season, we gave up too many shots, too many goals and failed to create enough quality opportunities on offense to make up for it. So honestly, we have to improve in all phases, a lot. It’s my job to put the right players in the right positions to give us the best chance to be successful.”

The Eagles had the passion, drive and were an inch away from winning multiple games. Throughout the season, Sullivan fought tough battles, but they learned lessons on the field that will help them work better as a team.

“Teamwork and communication will be a big message this season. Successful soccer teams work together all over the field and are very vocal with their communication. As a young soccer team, we struggled with that last year,” Immekus says, “We’ve already seen huge gains in our summer workouts. I’ll lean on my seniors a lot to be very vocal as they lead us during games this season. They’re ready for that.”

The four returning seniors will step into leadership roles and take more charge of the field.

Senior Max Avery is a dominant defender and “will be charged with being the experienced voice on the back end of the field.” Wyatt Kraus was previously a left back, but now he will “play a more pivotal role as a central midfielder.”

The others are Dock Thomure and Cambrian Koch. In 2022, Thomure made 24 shots, 3 goals and 6 points. While Koch completed 14 shots, only 1 goal and 2 points. “[They] will give us senior firepower upfront and should get plenty of opportunities to put the ball in the back of the net,” Immekus states.

Though not a senior, incoming freshman Luke Herron also caught Immekus’s eye for showing “real promise as a central midfielder both skills wise and in his instinctiveness.”

Immekus is also fixing the goalkeeper situation they struggled with last season. Currently, three players are in the race for the job.

He says his first candidate is returning junior Matthew Hamblin who has “a year of experience under his belt.” Another one is sophomore Alex Toews, who is a rookie but has already been coached by Immekus in baseball. Then freshman Zaiden Marler, who was goalkeeper in past youth soccer programs and has also been coached by Immekus on the middle school basketball team.

Sullivan will have 14 practices starting on Aug. 7. They will be practicing from 5:30-8 p.m. daily, with a couple of Saturday morning practices as well.

Immekus is very excited for the coming weeks before the season opener, explaining, “We have goalkeepers competing for jobs, seniors at all three levels and exciting young players who will add depth to our squad. I’ll spend the next three weeks trying to get them to buy into the philosophy that we defend as a team and attack offensively as a team, with all 11 on the field committed to that idea.”

Coming off of three wins is no easy task. But, now, Immekus and his returning players have learned what will collectively make them successful. The veterans will teach the newcomers and have more presence on the field. The goalkeeper situation is also in good hands with three worthy candidates.

“We are more experienced, a year more mature both physically and mentally and deeper in all areas, so that alone will lead to a more competitive team. How big of a jump we make remains to be seen, but we’re excited to get to work,” Immekus states.

The boys’ soccer team will open their season on Aug. 25 against West Plains at the Lebanon tournament. Their first home game will be against Fatima on Sep. 12.