The 2023 soccer season was historic for the boys from Shady Spring under head coach Josiah Smith.
The Tigers posted a solid 15-5-1 record against a challenging schedule and captured the sectional title for the first time in over decade.
Shady Spring was also agonizingly close to a state tournament berth, falling to eventual state runner-up Charleston Catholic in a shootout in the regional tournament.
Now Shady Spring looks to keep the momentum going forward in a positive direction.
“I am thrilled to be working with these boys. One of the mandates this year is continue to build on the progress we have made in the past,” Smith said. “We want to see the program grow. We have grown in numbers and we want to grow in our capacity to compete at a high level.”
As the 2024 season heads to opening night, there are some serious challenges on the horizon for the Tigers.
In his third year at the helm, Smith will need to find replacements for six senior starters including first-team all-state striker Michael Vecellio. The reigning Lootpress Male Soccer Player of the Year scored 34 goals in his senior campaign and tallied 80 in three seasons for the Tigers.
Also gone is Concord signee Jacob Shamblin who controlled the midfield with a vengeance, along with Walker Furrow, Elijah Smith, Elisha Tabit and Jody Thomas.
Smith is convinced however, that although the mountain is steep, his band of underdogs can get the job done this year.
“We barely edged out an excellent PikeView team by a hair in the section and they are returning so many great players. James Monroe is going to be another really tough opponent once again,” Smith said. “In the region we have Charleston Catholic, who just reloads year after year and will always be a favorite to win the state championship. It’s a huge challenge for our young team, but we are eager to go out and fight.”
The Tigers will be guided this year by two very talented senior captains, Nathan Vecellio and David Hegele.
Vecellio was the second leading scorer for Shady Spring last year finding the back of the net 20 times to go along with 21 assists, while Hegele was the anchor and muscle for the defensive back line.
Overall success this year will likely depend in large part to increased contributions from a talented trio following a strong freshman season in 2023.
Micah Smith will flank Vecellio in the scoring third after nailing 11 goals and assisting on 14 other netters. Grant Lawson will contribute on defense, while Jack Billeter, who is bigger and stronger will be the wall between the pipes.
“I love our guys. We have two high-impact senior leaders returning and we have sophomores who have grown and contributed last year,” Smith said. “There are many positions where we need guys to step up and demonstrate that they are ready to work hard and contribute on the field. I’m an optimistic guy, and I think this will be a season of growth.”
Shady Spring also has some new additions that have stood early in preseason workouts.
“Several players have progressed from last year and we have some additions to the squad that stand out,” Smith explained. “Freshman Evan Rivera is joining us, who was just selected for the Eastern Olympic Developmental Program.”
Shady Spring will also have two foreign exchange students on the roster in Ondre Bartos and Lenny Wagner.
“We are hoping they can add value and be impact players on the team,” Smith said. “There are several new faces that haven’t played soccer for a while that have joined us. In the past they have played at a higher level or had soccer experience that we are now integrating.
The young Tigers will jump right into the fire to open the season by heading to the Capital City for a showdown with the Irish on Friday, Aug. 23 before hosting sectional foe Westside the following Tuesday.
Tuesday, Sept. 10 will be the first meeting with PikeView in Gardner before the Panthers come to H.B. Thomas Field on Thursday, Sept. 26.
Home-and-home clashes with James Monroe start at H.E. Comer Jr. Sports Complex on Tuesday, Sept. 17 with the Mavericks coming to Raleigh County Tuesday, Oct. 1.
The schedule also includes a home matches with Princeton and Ripley, along with road contests at Oak Hill and Class AA-A defending state champion Point Pleasant sandwiched between the battles with PikeView and James Monroe.
