South boys soccer opens under Miller
Team has nine senior playersBy STEVE HEMMELGARN, shemmelgarn@newsandsentinel.com
PARKERSBURG - Working together as a team.
That's what new Parkersburg South head boys soccer coach Bob Miller is stressing this season to his ''young'' Patriot squad.
''I've told them that we aren't concerned with who scores,'' said Miller. ''What we are concerned with, though, is working together, because that's the only way any team will be successful.''
Miller served the last three years as an assistant to previous head coach Bill Matthews, including being the main JV coach last year. Matthews remains on Miller's staff as an assistant this season along with Tim Offutt and JV coach Ed Ayers.
South sports a total of 42 players, with 18 on the varsity roster. But the Patriots are minus the services this season of last year's four senior captains, ''who started since they were sophomores, and one, Doug Teter, as a freshman,'' said Miller.
The other three are Miller's son Robbie along with Craig Zell and Trenton Tunnell,
Last year, Teter was an all-state selection, while Tunnell and Zell were second-team all-state and honorable-mention all-state choices.
Key returnees, though, are junior all-state goalie Derik Ayers, senior honorable-mention all-stater Brandon Offutt and senior Ryan Gerrard, who ''played the last couple years as a marking back for us,'' said Miller, who has nine seniors on this year's varsity team.
Although, added Miller, some of the 12th-graders ''are playing different positions than they did last year.'' Also on the squad are two players originally from India who are eligible this season, and a foreign-exchange student from Italy.
South was 13-6-2 last fall in Matthews' farewell season as head coach.
''As I told them, we've got to get better every time we walk out on the field - whether it's practice or a scrimmage or a game - because everything doesn't count until sectional time,'' said Miller. ''You can be 0-20, but can be successful if you win the sectional, because then you get to go on to the regional from there, and maybe the state.''
''We've got quite a few kids with some experience, including four that started for us last year,'' said Miller. ''But like I said, there are position changes from last year,'' citing in particular junior Matt Kestner moving from offense to sweeper, and ''versatile'' junior Ethan Rinehart, ''who can play several places, but we're not quite sure just where yet.''
South opens its season Friday at home at Erickson All-Sports Facility at 4 p.m. versus Wheeling Park.
Miller is entering his 34th year as a coach in Wood County, 29 as head football coach at Blennerhassett Junior High, where he also coached wrestling and track. At South this year, Miller will be teaching ninth and 10th-grade physical education.
''If the kids mesh together, we could be OK,'' said Miller. ''By the end of the season in October when we start the sectionals, that's when we've got to be at our best.''
