HICKMAN HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER

2010 Photo Gallery

2010-12-01T11:45:00.000-06:00

2010 ALL DISTRICT 9 TEAM

2010-12-01T11:26:00.003-06:00

1st Team
Adam Brenner - Hickman
Connor Hollrah - Hickman
Andy Atkins - Hickman
Cody Meyer - Smith Cotton
Tommy Lor - Smith Cotton
Dakota Shepard - Smith Cotton
Brady Wulff - Rockbridge
Matt Kelly - Rockbridge
Ryan Schmidt - Rockbridge
Danny Baird - Rockbridge
Ryan Taylor - Rockbridge
Tanner Bone - Jeff City
Nick Anglen - Jeff City
Tyler Luebbert - Jeff City
CJ Loehnor - Jeff City
Anthony Barnhart - Washington
Tyler Schrader - Washington

2nd Team
Pat Moore - Washington
Tanner Kertz - Washington
Cole Baumgartner - Jeff City
Sergio Celada - Jeff City
Adam Luektemeyer - Jeff City
Claude Ruboneka - Jeff City
Kory McDonald-Rockbridge
Sam Stoeckl - Rockbridge
Trevor Davis - Rockbridge
Tyler Griggs - Rockbridge
Jonathan Gunter - Rockbridge
Grahm Meyer - Hickman
Alex Holliday - Hickman
Brian Willcox - Hickman
Austin Anderson - Smith Cotton
Trevor Leary - Smith Cotton
Spencer Howell - Smith Cotton

Honorable Mention

Ricky Bain - Smith Cotton
Justin Biesnicks - Smith Cotton
Matt McKeever - Washington
Jacob Spratt - Washington
Thomas Pekkala - Hickman
Eric Pekkala - Hickman
Eli Sherman - Rockbridge
Ryan Stanowski - Rockbridge
Tyler Brittain - Rockbridge
Austin Powell - Rockbridge
Dylan Brauner - Jeff City
Aaron Crane - Jeff City
Nathan Luebbert - Jeff City

Jefferson City ends Hickman's season

2010-11-02T14:15:00.001-05:00

By Nick Snow Columbia Daily Tribune

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

SEDALIA — The Hickman soccer team was bigger, stronger and faster than Jefferson City, and despite having similar records, the Kewpies came out showing more confidence than the Jays. After all, they were the defending district champions — reaching the state semifinals last season.

But the right foot of 5-foot-8 midfielder Adam Luetkemeyer proved to be the difference-maker in the Jays’ 1-0 upset of second-seeded Hickman in the Class 3 District 9 Tournament.

“Those late goals are the ones that kill you,” Hickman senior captain Andy Atkins said. “It just happens. It was a nice throw, and he just put it in a place where we couldn’t get to it in time. ...

“This was rough, but there’s more to life than soccer. It’s been a great four years.”

Jefferson City controlled the tempo for the majority of the first half. Taylor Ray got a decent look at the goal halfway through the first half, but that was stopped by Christian Loehner. Hickman had one more opportunity with 30 seconds left, but Atkins’ free kick sailed wide, ending the half in a scoreless tie.

“We really struggled in the first half,” Hickman Coach Adam Taylor said. “With it being a close game in the second half, I thought that having been in that spot before, it might work to our advantage. All year, we have had problems scoring. We just never really found ourselves.”

After fending off a couple of shots from Jefferson City, Hickman (17-7-1) started to show more fight over the middle of the second half. Once again, Atkins just missed as his shot sailed over the crossbar. Colin Janicek also fought off several defenders on his way to the net, but his shot sailed wide left.

With 7:37 left in the game, a quick throw-in was hauled in by Luetkemeyer. A scramble ensued in front of the net, but as Luetkemeyer was falling he managed to get just enough of his foot on the ball to roll it into the lower right corner. Hickman tried to answer, even getting a couple of shots in the final minute, but Loehner and the Jefferson City defense cleared the ball to preserve the win.

“These guys worked really hard, and I’m going to miss our seniors,” Taylor said. “I didn’t have a speech prepared for if we lost, but I told them that not everything goes as planned. Jefferson City is a very well-coached team, and we just didn’t have enough to overcome their goal. We’re just going to have to regroup and get ready for next year. When August comes around, we’ll be ready.”

Rock Bridge advances to district soccer final: Second seed Hickman lost 1-0 to third seed JC

2010-11-02T10:52:00.003-05:00

Rock Bridge advances to district soccer final
Monday, November 1, 2010 10:23 p.m. CDT
BY Missourian staff
The Rock Bridge boys soccer team defeated host Smith Cotton 2-0 Monday night in the semifinals of the Class 3, District 9 tournament in Sedalia.
Senior Danny Baird scored in the first half off an assist by senior Jon Gunter. Junior Matt Kelly sent in another goal in the second half off an assist by senior Trevor Davis.
Fourth-seeded Smith-Cotton (14-12) had advanced to the semifinal against top-seeded Rock Bridge (20-4) by beating fifth seed Washington on Saturday.
Second seed Hickman lost 1-0 to third seed Jefferson City in the late semifinal on Monday to end its season at 17-6-2 and prevent a district final showdown against the rival Bruins.
Rock Bridge is set to play Jefferson City (14-6-1) in the district finals at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Sedalia.

Hickman boys soccer squad puts up shutout in its finale

2010-10-28T08:21:00.000-05:00

BY THE TRIBUNE’S STAFFColumbia Daily Tribune
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Hickman soccer team won at Camdenton 2-0 last night in its regular-season finale.
Taylor Ray scored on a rebound from shot by Colin Janicek in the 72nd minute. Two minutes later, Janicek took a throw-in from Andy Atkins and beat two defenders along the end line to score. Spencer Mills got the shutout in goal for the Kewpies (17-6-1).

Hickman wins final regular season soccer game

2010-10-27T08:11:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, October 26, 2010 10:53 p.m. CDT
BY Missourian staff
The Hickman boys soccer team won 2-0 at Camdenton on Tuesday night in the Kewpies' final regular season game.
Taylor Ray and Colin Janicek scored second-half goals for Hickman. Ray put in a rebound of Janicek's shot in the 72nd minute, then Janicek scored off a throw-in from Andy Atkins in the 74th minute. Spencer Mills earned the shutout in goal for the Kewpies (17-6-1).
Hickman plays next Monday against Jefferson City in the opening of district play in Sedalia.

Hickman soccer defeats Waynesville and Rolla at the Thomas Whitefield games

2010-10-25T12:18:00.005-05:00

Hickman soccer defeats Waynesville
Saturday, October 23, 2010 5:58 p.m. CDT
BY Lauren Omahen
Hickman defeated the Waynesville Tigers 1-0 on Saturday at Rolla's Kiwanis Field.
Taylor Ray scored in the 25th minute, 25 yards from the goal. Kewpie's goalkeeper Chuck Wilson was injured in the 80th min of play and replaced by Spencer Mills.
Hickman is 16-6-1 for the season, while Waynesville is 11-11. Hickman's final regular-season game is Tuesday Oct. 26 at Camdenton at 5 p.m.

Friday night at 4pm 10-22-10 Hickman soccer defeated Rolla 4-2
Goals scored by Colin Janicek, Connor Hollrah, Alex Holliday and Andy Atkins.
Goals assisted by Taylor Ray, Brian Willcox and Connor Hollrah.

Hickman grinds out a PK victory over Helias

2010-10-21T08:02:00.001-05:00

By Nick SnowColumbia Daily Tribune
Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Photo by Joshua A. Bickel
Hickman goalkeeper Chuck Wilson blocks a penalty kick during the Kewpies’ overtime victory against the Helias Crusaders Tuesday night on LeMone Field. Hickman won 1-1 (4-2 in PKs).
It wasn’t pretty, but the Hickman boys soccer team survived a scare from Helias last night on LeMone Field.
Slide Show

● Soccer: Hickman 5, Helias 3
After Hickman tied the game at 1 with 24:04 left in regulation, the Kewpies beat the Crusaders in penalty kicks thanks to a pair of saves from goalkeeper Chuck Wilson and a final goal from fellow senior Erik Pekkala to win the penalty kick shootout 4-2.
“We were just happy to come out with a win on senior night,” Wilson said. “The best part was the way we earned it. Heading into the first overtime, Coach” Adam “Taylor said we needed to step up and come away with a W. We knew that Helias was a good team, and I think a win like this will help us build some confidence and take a step in the right direction heading into next week.”
The Kewpies (14-5-1) struggled throughout most of the first half as Helias forced Hickman to settle into a defensive mind-set. Late in the first half, Helias’ Blake Wenzel gave the Crusaders their first major scoring opportunity, turning a turnover into a breakaway. The ball deflected off Wilson’s hands, but Pekkala zipped in and saved a goal, keeping the game scoreless at the half.
“Chuck did his job by coming out, and Eric made a great play,” Taylor said. “That’s just the way this team is — we fight for each other. That would have been a really tough goal because we did everything right.”
After being denied by Pekkala once, Wenzel refused to be denied again, getting behind the defense to give Helias a 1-0 lead with 34:23 left in the second half.
Hickman responded almost instantly, as a low corner kick from senior Andy Atkins created a scramble in front of the Helias net. But after five shots from point-blank range, the Crusaders finally cleared the ball to avoid disaster.
Connor Hollrah scored 10 minutes later. Hollrah sent a blast that bounced off a defender’s foot and into the net to send the game into overtime.
“We started playing a lot better with about 10 minutes left in the second half,” Taylor said. “I told them going into overtime that we couldn’t stop. We had to keep going. We’re a blue-collar team who can grind it out. We definitely saw that in overtime.”
Hickman had a couple of chances on a pair of free kicks from Grahm Meyer but couldn’t come up with anything in either overtime period. Marcus Woodruff almost ended the game for the Crusaders late in the second overtime, but the post was unkind, forcing penalty kicks.
Atkins, Hollrah, Adam Brenner and Pekkala all scored penalty kicks for the Kewpies, while Wenzel and Woodruff scored for Helias.
“We did a good job of fighting back and shipping our seniors off with a win,” Taylor said. “This was the first group I’ve coached all four years. I’ve learned a lot from them, and I’m going to miss their leadership and their humor. Being senior night, there’s so much emotion involved. Sometimes it’s hard to get in the flow.
“We’ve still got three big games left. We’ve got to play better for the full 80 minutes. This is the time for our team to establish their identity.”

Hickman boys soccer tops Helias in penalty kicks

2010-10-20T07:56:00.003-05:00

Tuesday, October 19, 2010 9:49 p.m. CDT
BY Blair Weaver
COLUMBIA — The Hickman boys soccer team defeated Helias in overtime penalty kicks Tuesday at Hickman.
After regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods ended in a 1-1 tie, Hickman seniors Andy Atkins, Connor Hollrah, Adam Brenner and Eric Pekkala all had goals to secure a 5-3 victory for the Kewpies.
Connor Hollrah scored the lone regulation goal for Hickman in the second half.
Hickman plays next against Waynesville at 6:45 p.m. Friday in Rolla.

Rock Bridge soccer earns shutout in win over Kewps

2010-10-13T14:12:00.001-05:00

Rock Bridge midfielder Danny Baird, right, dribbles through midfield as Hickman midfielder Connor Hollrah, left, attempts to sweep the ball away during the first half of the Bruins’ 4-0 victory against the Kewpies Tuesday night on Sells Field.
By Nick Snow
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Coach Kyle Austin said his Rock Bridge boys soccer team didn’t play its best.
Soccer
Rock Bridge 4, Hickman 0
That’s a little hard to believe, considering the Bruins (17-4) had just beaten Hickman 4-0 on Sells Field to sweep the regular-season series.
“It feels good to beat them,” Rock Bridge midfielder Ty Griggs said. “I play with a lot of those guys on a club team, so this gives me a chance to represent my school. There’s always a little bit of a rivalry, but that’s what makes it fun. We enjoy beating Hickman.”
Hickman (15-5-1) flexed its muscle early, attacking with a fury over the first 10 minutes. But the Bruins weathered the storm with a couple of great saves by Brady Wulff.
“Brady is our senior captain for a reason,” Austin said. “Not only is he very vocal, he leads by his play. Any time we have him back there, we know its going to take the other team’s best effort to win. He’s playing at another level, and I know assistant coach Alex Nichols — who works with him in practice — has been very impressed with the way he has played.”
After getting stuffed by Hickman goalkeeper Chuck Wilson earlier in the half, Matt Kelly got Rock Bridge started by blasting a free kick into the upper right corner.
The Kewpies had a couple of chances late — including a shot through the box by Andy Atkins — but with 8 seconds left, Eli Sherman found Kelly for a breakaway to give Rock Bridge a 2-0 halftime lead.
“That was a huge goal at the time,” Austin said. “It was a great job by Eli, and it allowed Matt to slide into position. That goal really changed the game. We were able to take that and build on that momentum at halftime.”
Wilson couldn’t haul in a bouncer in traffic with 33:38 left in the game. From there, Rock Bridge’s Ryan Taylor was in the right place at the right time, knocking the ball into the net on the rebound.
“We’ve been flopping back and forth between Spencer Mills and Chuck all year,” Hickman Coach Adam Taylor said. “Tonight, it was Chuck’s turn. He’s a senior, so I wanted to give him one more chance to beat Rock Bridge.”
The Bruins tacked on one more with 15 minutes left. With several defenders on him, Griggs took a shot while falling down. Somehow, the ball squirted through the defense and into the net.
“Eli Sherman worked hard to get the ball to Trevor Davis,” Griggs said. “Trevor gave me a great pass, and I just took a shot and hoped for the best. We know that Hickman is going to come back hard if we see them in districts. We just have to keep looking forward.”
Rock Bridge will host Waynesville tomorrow, while Hickman will travel to Lincoln Prep tomorrow.
“We’ve got to go back to work,” Taylor said. “We’ve got about a week and a half before districts start. We really didn’t play that bad. Hopefully, this will make us more intense for the rest of the season. We know that now is the time to push ourselves.”

Rock Bridge and Hickman soccer players friends and competitors

2010-10-13T07:59:00.003-05:00

Tuesday, October 12, 2010 11:25 p.m. CDT; updated 12:17 a.m. CDT, Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Rock Bridge's Danny Baird jumps to steal the ball from Hickman's James Griggs, left, and Alex Holliday in the ruins' 4-0 victory Tuesday over the Kewpies. ¦ CLINT ALWAHAB/Missourian
BY Blair Weaver
COLUMBIA — The players on the Hickman and Rock Bridge boys soccer teams are competitors on the field, but are close friends off the field.
Rock Bridge seniors Brady Wulff, Ryan Taylor and Danny Baird have been close friends with Hickman's Andy Atkins, Colin Janicek and Alex Holliday for about five or six years. They all play on the Columbia Pride, a club team in Columbia.
“It’s a lot different playing against them,” Taylor said. "I have a lot of respect for them on and off the field. I have to get it out of my mind that we’re friends when we play against each other."
They talk to each other a little on the field, but for the 80-minutes of the game, the focus is on bringing their school a win. Rock Bridge prevailed Tuesday night securing a 4-0 victory over visiting Hickman. Matt Kelly had two first-half goals for the Bruins, while Taylor and Ty Griggs scored in the second half.
“It’s a pain playing against them. They’re great guys to play with, but when you play against them, you know that they’re going to give 100 percent,” Atkins said. “We all go hard, it’s the same intensity, but I’m more cordial to them than any other player. It’s definitely nice to talk to them before and after the game though.”
The players know the ins and outs of how the other plays, which works to their advantage both as teammates and as opponents. They’re not just another player. They're players that they’ve cheered on, encouraged and traveled to out-of-town tournaments with.
“It’s definitely more competitive on the field against them. Once the season is over, there’s always bragging going on about who won during the season,” Taylor said. “It’s business on the field, but jokes off the field.”

Hickman soccer team net road win

2010-10-12T13:22:00.000-05:00

Monday, October 11, 2010 11:44 p.m. CDT
BY Missourian staff
The Hickman boys soccer team beat Fatima 2-0 on Monday night in Westphalia.
Colin Janicek and Taylor Ray claimed goals for the Kewpies (12-5-1). Goalkeeper Spencer Mills earned the shutout.
Hickman is set to play Tuesday at Rock Bridge.

Rockhurst outlasts Hickman soccer team in overtime

2010-10-08T07:57:00.001-05:00

Thursday, October 7, 2010 9:57 p.m. CDT
BY Missourian staff
The Hickman boys soccer team lost to Rockhurst 1-0 in overtime Thursday evening in Kansas City.
The game-winner came from Rockhurst freshman forward Cole Stevenson with 1:30 left in the first overtime period.
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Hickman (11-5-1) plays next at 5 p.m. Monday at Fatima.

Hickman soccer edges Troy Buchanan in shootout win

2010-10-06T14:07:00.001-05:00

By Nick Snow
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
It took 100 minutes and a couple of heart-stopping penalty kicks, but the Hickman boys soccer team finally snatched victory away from Troy Buchanan last night on LeMone Field.
Boys soccer
Hickman 0, Troy 0 (5-4 PK
Goalkeeper Spencer Mills recorded back-to-back saves, including the stop on Troy’s Alex Williams that gave Hickman the edge in penalty kicks needed to win the game 0-0 (5-4 PK).
“I just made sure I went the right way,” Mills said. “That last shot went right down the middle, and I stuck with it. We knew coming in that they were going to be a tough team, but we’re really happy with the win. A lot of that credit goes to the defense.”
After Eric Pekkala, Hickman’s fifth kicker, tied the score at 4 with a shot that ricocheted off both posts before crossing the line, Mills slid left just in time to catch Alex Martin’s blast — sending the match into a second round of penalty kicks. From there, Adam Brenner sent a laser into the back of the net before Mills came up with the stop to win the game.
“It’s always good to get into a situation like this,” Hickman Coach Adam Taylor said. “We handled adversity really well. We got down early in penalty kicks, but Spencer came up with a couple of huge saves.”
Hickman (10-4-1) had several chances to keep the game from going into overtime, especially late in the first half. But every chance Alex Holliday and Andy Atkins had, Troy goalkeeper Chris Wood was there to keep the Kewpies off the board.
With just more than two minutes left in the half, Troy had a 5-on-3 breakaway after Hickman got caught trying to generate some offense. However, Adam Kopriva and Thomas Pekkala combined to dilute the threat and keep the game scoreless at the half.
Play got more physical in the second half, as both teams started to push a little more. After spending a majority of the half around midfield, Conner Hollrah’s shot hit the crossbar with 7:54 left in regulation, sending the match to overtime in a scoreless tie.
Troy used its speedy forwards to get an open look halfway through the first overtime, but Ben Lehmkuhl’s shot rolled just outside the right post.
Holliday brought the Hickman fans to their feet, hauling in a long pass from Brian Willcox and blistering it into the back of the net for what looked like the game-winner. Instead, Holliday was ruled offside and the goal was waved off.
“This was a very physical team,” Taylor said. “A game like this should help prepare us for districts, because those opponents like to muscle up.”

Hickman soccer outlasts Troy Buchanan in penalty kicks

2010-10-06T14:01:00.004-05:00

BY Sean Leahy
COLUMBIA — It took two overtimes and two rounds of penalty kicks, but the Hickman soccer team finally got its victory.
Kewpies goalkeeper Spencer Mills stonewalled Troy Buchanan forward Alex Williams in the second round of penalty kicks and Hickman scored a 1-0 victory over the Trojans on Tuesday night at Hickman.
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“I stuck with it on that last one,” Mills said. “I just got the feeling he was going straight down the middle.”
Moments earlier defender Adam Brenner gave the Kewpies the lead after the first round of penalty kicks ended tied at 4.
When Mills cradled Williams’ shot in his chest, Hickman had survived for the win.
“I was thinking, ‘Thank goodness I stopped that ball and we got the win,’ ” Mills said. “We definitely needed to come up on top.”
Hickman coach Adam Taylor praised both his goalkeepers after the victory.
“We’ve got two keepers that are playing quite a bit,” Taylor said. “Spencer and Chuck (Wilson) are both giving us opportunities to win ballgames. It was Spencer’s turn tonight, and he did everything we asked him to do.”
The two teams battled for 100 minutes before going to penalty kicks. The Kewpies and Trojans both scored on their first penalty-kick shots, but Hickman’s second shot went just above the top crossbar.
A few shots later, the teams were tied at 4 when midfielder Alex Martin had the opportunity to give the Trojans the win. Mills stopped his shot, which pushed the game into the deciding second round of penalty kicks.
Up to that point, Hickman was fighting to get on the scoreboard with no results to show for it. Zeros may have occupied the scoreboard, but the Kewpies had their chances to take the lead.
With two minutes left in the second overtime, forward Alex Holliday’s goal was disallowed by an offsides call. With eight minutes left in regulation, midfielder Connor Hollrah’s shot hit off the top crossbar.
“We battled all night,” Taylor said.
The Kewpies (11-4-1) play next Thursday at Rockhurst in Kansas City.

Hickman boys soccer takes consolation championship

2010-10-06T14:00:00.002-05:00

Saturday, October 2, 2010 6:44 p.m. CDT
BY Missourian Staff
The Hickman boy's soccer team beat Springfield Catholic 1-0 Saturday, winning the Gateway City Soccer Classic consolation championship.
Brian Willcox scored the lone goal in the 43rd minute, knocking in Andy Atkin's shot that had deflected off the goalkeeper's hands.
Goalkeeper Spencer Mills picked up the shutout for the Kewpies.
Atkins picked up two goals in Hickman's 4-0 second round victory over Fort Zumwalt South earlier in the day. Kewpie goalkeeper Chuck Wilson picked up the shutout.
The Kewpies (10-4-1) host Troy-Buchanan at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Rock Bridge's narrow soccer victory no surprise against Hickman

2010-10-06T13:58:00.000-05:00

BY Blair Weaver
COLUMBIA — With a crosstown rivalry, it’s not just your ordinary mid-season game; it goes much deeper than that.
“There’s just a different feel of the game, it feels just like a state game,” Rock Bridge boys soccer coach Kyle Austin said. "The kids get so over-hyped that I have to calm them down.”
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The crowd gets sufficiently larger. The feel of the game just isn’t quite the same. Emotions come into play, and with two high schools in the same town, your rivals aren’t always complete strangers.
“There are a lot of emotions. You have to learn how to suppress them and I don’t think we did that tonight,” Hickman coach Adam Taylor said. “But besides the rivalry, it’s still the same game. Eleven players, one ball.”
The Bruins defeated the Kewpies 1-0 Wednesday night at Hickman’s Robert M. LeMone Field. Rock Bridge junior Kory McDonald scored the lone goal in the second half. After having two assists this season, McDonald, a defender, scored his first goal Wednesday from about 30 yards out, the ball spinning right through the Hickman keeper’s hands.
The close game was not a surprise with Rock Bridge (10-4) and Hickman (8-3-1) boasting similar records.
“With games like these, the final score is expected to be 1-0, and that’s exactly what happened,” Austin said.

Bruins' hard work results in fortunate goal

2010-10-06T13:56:00.001-05:00

By Steve Walentik
Thursday, September 30, 2010
It would have been easy think the Hickman boys soccer team unlucky after a seemingly innocent shot squirted through the hands of goalkeeper Chuck Wilson and trickled across the goal line.
Slide Show

● Soccer: Rock Bridge 1, Hickman 0
Fluky or not, the goal off the foot of Rock Bridge junior Kory McDonald proved to be the difference in the Bruins’ 1-0 victory last night on LeMone Field.
But the match itself was actually more heavily skewed in Rock Bridge’s favor.
“They did everything that they wanted to do tonight,” Kewpies Coach Adam Taylor said. “I thought they played extremely well. … We got beat in every aspect of the game, bottom line. Anyone who watched this game — even if you don’t know much about soccer — could see they just basically beat us, and it started in the middle of the field. They hammered us there early, often and all night.”
Taylor’s coaching counterpart, Kyle Austin, actually thought his Bruins began the night a little shaky, perhaps evidence of some nerves that came with facing their crosstown rivals for the first time since they ended Rock Bridge’s season in last year’s district semifinal. The match wasn’t 12 minutes old when Hickman senior Andy Atkins got loose on the right wing after McDonald misplayed a cross. Senior goalkeeper Brady Wulff charged hard off his line to challenge the upcoming shot, and Atkins fired high over the goal.
That would be the best opportunity the Kewpies (8-3-1) had, as the Bruins (10-4) settled down soon after. They began to possess the ball and mounted one attack after another into Hickman’s end of the field. Only a few produced quality scoring opportunities in the first half, but they kept Taylor’s team on the defensive, and Wilson had to come up with six saves just to keep the match scoreless at intermission.
Rock Bridge kept pressing in the second half. Junior Matt Kelly pounced on the ball after Eric Pekkala gave it away deep in Hickman territory and nearly notched his 15th goal of the season in the 47th minute.
It was about two minutes after Kelly’s chance that McDonald left the field with a bloody nose after catching an inadvertent elbow. With cotton plugging his right nostril, he returned just in time to deliver the biggest strike of the night with 27:59 left on the clock.
Atkins and Ryan Schmidt were battling for a loose ball when the ball rolled back toward McDonald, pinching in from the backline.
“It just found me,” said the junior, who quickly settled it some 30 yards from the goal. “I just decided to take a shot from out — just pepper the goalie. I hit it well. I didn’t hit it in a great spot, but it just found the net.”
First, the ball passed over traffic in front and through the hands Wilson, who seemed to be handcuffed by the spinning orb.
“My assistant coach,” Alex Nichols, “and I have preached to them all season, there’s no such thing as a bad shot,” Austin said. “Things can happen — it takes a deflection, something happens like with Kory’s shot tonight. … It wasn’t the prettiest of goals, but I tell them it doesn’t have to be pretty. It still counts on the score sheet the same.”
Rather than awaken Hickman’s attack, McDonald’s goal actually seemed to open up the field so that Rock Bridge could generate even more opportunities.
The Kewpies did manage a few scoring chances of their own while countering the Bruins’ advances over the final 28 minutes, but none really tested Wulff, who never had to leave his feet while making five saves.
Wulff might have preferred some more work, but Austin wasn’t complaining.
“If Brady never gets dirty, it’s a good game for us,” the coach said. “We have a solid keeper. I honestly believe he’s the best keeper here in Mid-Missouri. I tell our defense, ‘Let’s let him just sit back there and read a book.’ On nights like tonight, he was there. He’s a presence back there, but he didn’t have to come up with any huge saves. But there’ll be a point in the season, and we have faith in him that he’s going to make that save.”
Austin would like his Bruins to capitalize on a few more opportunities at the other end so that every save isn’t so important, but Hickman’s backline did a good job withstanding their pressure last night.
“Give credit to our guys. For as well as they played, we kept in it, we fought all night, and we only lost by a goal and goal that really we maybe could have got back somehow,” said Taylor, whose team hadn’t been challenged nearly as much while outscoring its opponents 20-0 during a three-game winning streak. “It’s early in the season still. We’ve still got plenty of time to work, and hopefully, this will put our guys back to work.”

Hickman boys soccer team earns shutout

2010-09-24T15:32:00.005-05:00

Thursday, September 23, 2010 9:53 p.m. CDT
BY Missourian staff
COLUMBIA — The Hickman boys soccer team picked up a road victory by shutting out Smith-Cotton 2-0 Thursday in Sedalia.
Chuck Wilson picked up the shutout in goal for the Kewpies, who received goals from Taylor Ray in the 13th minute and Andy Atkins in the 69th minute.
The Kewpies improved to 8-2-1 and will host Rock Bridge on Wednesday.

Hickman shuts out Smith-Cotton

2010-09-24T15:07:00.010-05:00

Taylor Ray and Andy Atkins scored to lead the Hickman boys soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Smith-Cotton yesterday in Sedalia.
Ray scored from 10 yards out off a pass from Chris McCoy in the 13th minute. Atkins added the insurance goal in the 69th minute for the Kewpies (8-2-1). Chuck Wilson earned the shutout in net.

Hickman soccer team scores eight in rout

2010-09-23T13:52:00.003-05:00

By Nick Snow

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Four touches.

That’s all the action Hickman boys soccer goalkeeper Spencer Mills saw in the Kewpies’ 8-0 rout of Kansas City East at LeMone Field yesterday.

“We possessed the ball really well,” Hickman Coach Adam Taylor said. “Scoring that many goals shows that we had a lot of opportunities offensively. In this game, our best defense was our offense. We had to clean up a few touches at halftime, but I thought we played very well.”

Hickman (7-2-1) jumped to a 3-0 lead by halftime on goals from Brian Willcox, Connor Hollrah and Chris McCoy. Meanwhile, the defense of Thomas Pekkala kept East from registering a shot on goal.

In the second half, a cross from Alex Holliday landed at Spencer Miller’s feet, allowing Miller to blister the ball into the top left corner of the net with 34:09 remaining in the game. Miller had a chance at a second goal two minutes later, but the ball clanked off the post.

Perhaps the biggest cheer from the sparse Hickman crowd came at the 20:51 mark in the second half. All night, Taylor Ray had plenty of chances to score, but East goalkeeper Jesus Torres was there to deny Ray time after time. Thanks to a nearly perfect cross from Connor Hollrah, Ray blasted the ball into the bottom corner of the net for his first goal of the season.

“He had been unlucky for most of the game,” Taylor said. “The ball just bounced right to him and he was able to score his first goal of the season.”

Holliday and Nathan Wikle also got involved in the offense, scoring goals less than a minute apart. Seven players scored, with Hollrah scoring twice.

“We love to get everybody involved in the offense,” Taylor said. “You know you’re working the ball well when you have that many players score a goal.”

This article was published on page B3 of the Wednesday, September 22, 2010 edition of The Columbia Daily Tribune with the headline "Best defense is strong offense Kewpies score eight in rout.."

Photo by Don Shrubshell
Published September 22, 2010

Hickman’s Alex Holliday, right, scores past Kansas City East goalie Jesus Torres in the second half. Seven players scored as the Kewpies won 8-0 Tuesday night on LeMone Field.

Hickman soccer team rolls

2010-09-23T13:48:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, September 21, 2010 | 8:04 p.m. CDT; updated 9:41 p.m. CDT, Tuesday, September 21, 2010
BY Blair Weaver

COLUMBIA — The Hickman boys soccer team defeated Kansas City-East 8-0 on Thursday at Hickman.

“I think we’ve really improved from last week. I’m happy as long as we’re getting better week by week,” Hickman coach Adam Taylor said.

Connor Hollrah scored twice and Brian Willcox, Chris McCoy, Spencer Miller, Taylor Ray, Alex Holliday and Nathan Wikle all had single goals for Hickman (7-2-1).

“We had so many opportunities that I would’ve liked to see go in,” Taylor said. “We missed a few here and there, but at least we are getting these opportunities.”

The Kewpies play next on Thursday against Smith-Cotton High School in Sedalia.

Injury can't slow Hickman soccer player

2010-09-15T14:33:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, September 14, 2010 | 9:28 p.m. CDT; updated 10:16 p.m. CDT, Tuesday, September 14, 2010

BY LAUREN OMAHEN

COLUMBIA — Thirteen stitches were not going to affect his game. The way Grahm Meyer sees it, it's just a few scratches on his forehead.

Despite the stitches, Meyer, a junior on the Hickman soccer team, led the Kewpies with three goals in Tuesday's 10-0 victory over visiting K.C. Northeast.

A large X can clearly be seen on the top right side of Meyer's forehead as he explains how he suffered the injury. The wound is stitched-up, but dried blood still remains, slightly covered by the sweat dripping off his light brown hair.

"This happened in our game against Jefferson City," explained Meyer about the Kewpies' 1-0 overtime victory last Tuesday. "I entered the game after the first 15 minutes, and he (a Jays player) and I were going in to head-butt the ball — we collided."

Meyer said he doesn't really know what happened to the other player because he was immediately rushed to the emergency room.

This Tuesday, was Meyer's first time playing middle wing for the Kewpies. Meyer usually plays left and right wing, but Tuesday night he was ready to try something new.

"This was not too much of a transition for me," Meyer said. "But it was interesting to get an entirely new perspective of defense."

Hickman's defense was strong, rarely allowing its opponent into Kewpies' territory.

Hickman coach Adam Taylor seemed nonchalant about the big win.

"We did not come out with the energy and intensity that I would have liked," Taylor said. "Northeast is a fairly new soccer program, only about 5 to 6 years old, so the game went mostly as expected. Tonight, we focused on the basics, and this was an opportunity to improve on some of these basic skills."

The game had finished 20 minutes early because of the score. Hickman will play again Friday at Smithton High School.

Hickman soccer takes second in Francis Howell tournament

2010-09-12T11:55:00.000-05:00

Saturday, September 11, 2010 | 8:23 p.m. CDT; updated 9:50 p.m. CDT, Saturday, September 11, 2010

BY MISSOURIAN STAFF

Hickman boys soccer placed second in the 22nd annual Francis Howell School District soccer tournament.

On Friday, Hickman beat Francis Howell 2-0 on goals by James Griggs and Alex Holliday. Brian Willcox assisted on both goals, and Spencer Mills earned his third shutout.

Hickman beat Howell North 2-1 on Saturday. With 15 minutes left, Hickman scored twice in less than a minute. The first was a header from Holliday, which Willcox assisted. Connor Hollrah scored the second after dribbling past two defenders and putting in a shot just under the goalie.

Hickman then fell to Francis Howell Central 3-1. Howell Central scored 11 seconds before the half on a shot that glanced off Mills. Holliday tied the game on a volley over the goalie’s head from 25 yards out with 14 minutes left. But Howell Central’s Tim McCormack scored off a penalty kick with five and half minutes left and again off a corner kick with one minute left.

Hickman is 5-2-1. The Kewpies face Kansas City East at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at home.

Hickman soccer player excels in many fields

2010-09-10T07:47:00.003-05:00

Thursday, September 9, 2010 11:20 p.m. CDT; updated 12:08 a.m. CDT, Friday, September 10, 2010

BY Blair Weaver
COLUMBIA — Hickman boys soccer player Andy Atkins not only has talent on the field but off, as well.

In the Kewpies' game Thursday night against visiting Raymore-Peculiar, Atkins, a senior midfielder, scored on a penalty kick in the beginning of the second half to send Hickman on its way to a 4-1 victory.

This summer, Atkins was invited to spend a week in Washington D.C. representing his state at Boys Nation.

Boys Nation gives two high school boys from every state but Hawaii the opportunity to represent their state at the annual event. All 98 boys act as delegates and participate in “senator simulation” by gaining experience and education about the federal government.

Not quite every high school athlete is given such an opportunity. But Atkins isn't the usual high school athlete.

Besides being a captain on the soccer team and taking part in Boys Nation, Atkins also has been class president for the past three years, is starting up a poetry society, is a part of his high school’s mock trial organization where he has met several lawyers from Columbia, is a member of the school academic team, and is a member of the National Honor Society and the National Spanish Honor Society.

Atkins was first nominated for Boys Nation by Columbia city counselors and made it through an interview process before being selected.

“I loved getting to meet everyone from all the different states. Any preconceived notion I had about what people were like was blown out of the water,” Atkins said.

While in D.C., not only did the boys get to meet the Supreme Court, spend time in the Library of Congress, sit in on senate sessions and meet both state senators from their state, but they got to visit the White House and meet President Obama, as well.

“I’m interested in a law degree. I met a lot of staffers with law degrees, I love foreign language and international affairs interests me, as well,” Atkins said.

It is clear Atkins not only has his focus on soccer.

“It’s not easy balancing both soccer and school. It is a lot of work,” Atkins said. “I seem to be more productive in season. I can’t afford to be lazy.”

Photo: Hickman soccer player Andy Atkins watches from the sidelines in the Kewpies' home game Thursday against Raymore-Peculiar. ¦ EVE EDELHEIT/Missourian

Hickman soccer team defeats Raymore-Peculiar

2010-09-10T07:45:00.000-05:00

Hickman soccer team defeats Raymore-Peculiar
Thursday, September 9, 2010 | 9:07 p.m. CDT

BY Missourian staff
COLUMBIA — Three second-half goals propelled the Hickman boys soccer team to a 4-1 victory over Raymore-Peculiar on Thursday night in Columbia.

James Griggs scored for Hickman in the first half before Raymore-Peculiar tied it up heading into halftime.

The Kewpies moved ahead quickly in the second half, getting goals from Andy Atkins, Connor Hollrah and Adam Kopriva.

Hickman plays next game Friday against Francis Howell North in St. Charles.

Kewpies beat Jays with late goal

2010-09-08T15:11:00.001-05:00

Kewpies beat Jays with late goal
Overtime goal lifts Hickman over Jeff City.
By Steve Walentik

Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Hickman Soccer 1, Jefferson City 0

It happened quickly, even if it was 83 minutes in the making.

After a Hickman throw-in deep in Jefferson City territory last night in overtime of a match pitting district boys soccer rivals on LeMone Field, Kewpies midfielder Andy Atkins sent a cross into the middle of the penalty area. A Jays defender knocked the ball down, but it slipped away from his feet before he had a chance to clear. Hickman’s Alex Holliday bullied his way onto the loose ball, cut immediately toward the middle and let go a sliding shot that screamed past the hands of Jefferson City goalkeeper C.J. Loehner.

“I just slid and hoped it was going in,” said Holliday, whose second goal of the season gave the Kewpies a 1-0 overtime victory. “It’s good to get a W. We worked really hard. We’ve got some stuff to work on, but I think as a team, we needed that.”

A loss would have been tough to take for Hickman (2-1-1), even early in the season. The Kewpies had possession of the ball for approximately two-thirds of the first 80 minutes but had few good scoring chances to show for all their time spent in the opposing end.

“I just didn’t feel like we really executed all night,” Hickman Coach Adam Taylor said. “I wasn’t disappointed in our play, but I just didn’t think we were sharp.”

It was a continuation of the sluggish offensive performance that befell Hickman in last weekend’s season-opening Quincy Notre Dame Tournament in Quincy, Ill. Taylor’s team totaled three goals in three games against Illinois schools Maine South, Francis Parker and Danville.

The young Jays (2-1) had a foot in keeping the Kewpies from generating more opportunities or converting the ones they had.

“For our inexperience and our youth, I thought we did a decent job of limiting the real dangerous chances they had,” said Jefferson City Coach Eddie Horn, who started as many freshman — two — as he did seniors on a team that lost 10 starters from last season. “There’s no doubt they had the ball in our half more, but as far as real, real quality shots at goal that our keeper had to make plays to keep us in it, how many do you think they had?”

With just over nine minutes left in the opening half, Jefferson City’s Nick Anglen caught up to a through-ball up the middle with a full head of steam and worked into the penalty area. He tried to flick the ball over goalkeeper Spencer Mills, who was charging off his line. The ball bounced off the post and was eventually cleared.

Freshman Aaron Crane had a breakaway in the first minute of the second half, but Mills, again charging forward to meet him, smothered the ball before a shot was fired.

Hickman did have to withstand a more steady assault from Jefferson City in the final 10 minutes of regulation.

“If we give up the ball in the attacking third, it comes back to the defense, and they’re already being pushed,” Holliday said. “That’s what happened toward the end. We couldn’t get anything together in our attacking third, and our defense was getting pounded, so we need to get our heads up. We need to know what we’re doing when we’re going toward the goal instead of just giving the ball up.”

Taylor was happy his team could get that lesson in a victory, in a match both coaches agreed provided a good indicator of their progress early in the season. He was not happy to see his Kewpies collect three yellow cards in the second half in the process.

“We let the emotions get the best of us,” Taylor said. ... “I was a little bit embarrassed and upset by that. You never hope that that happens, because we want to be a respectful team, but unfortunately, it did tonight, and we’ll readdress that.”

Reach Steve Walentik at 573-815-1788 or e-mail swalentik@columbiatribune.com.

Slide Show: Hickman Soccer v Jefferson City photos by Joshua A. Bickel

2010-09-08T08:11:00.001-05:00

Hickman boys soccer ties first game in tournament

2010-09-06T08:50:00.003-05:00

Friday, September 3, 2010 8:24 p.m. CDT

BY BLAIR WEAVER

COLUMBIA - The Hickman boys soccer team tied 1-1 against the Maine South Hawks in the Quincy Notre Dame Tournament on Friday.

Connor Hollrah scored the Kewpies' only goal from the top of the box, about 22 yards out.

The Kewpies’ next tournament game is tomorrow at 9 a.m. against the Danville Vikings.

Hickman soccer trying to build on last season's state run

2010-09-02T21:41:00.002-05:00

Hickman looking for continued success after late run in ’09
By Steve Walentik

Thursday, September 2, 2010

It’s been almost 10 months since the Hickman boys soccer team’s run through the MSHSAA Class 3 tournament ended two victories shy of a state title.

That the Kewpies would ever get that close seemed nearly unimaginable after a 4-4-1 start. Coach Adam Taylor, whose midseason promotion to replace Larry Thornburg seemed to spark the dramatic turnaround, still can’t say exactly how it all happened.

“It was just the right change at the right time,” Taylor said simply.

Truth be told, he hasn’t spent that much time trying to formulate a more complex explanation for how Hickman went 10-5-2 in its final 17 games. He’s been much more invested in preparing for the season ahead, which begins tomorrow when the Kewpies take on Maine South from the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, Ill., in the first round of the Quincy Notre Dame Tournament.

He’s had time to familiarize himself with a stack of books related to soccer strategy and coaching philosophy. He also served as an assistant coach with the Hickman girls team in the spring — a favor girls Coach Tony Gragnani is repaying this fall — to expose himself to new methods and ideas.

At age 26 and about to begin his first full season as a head coach at the varsity level, Taylor knows he has a few things to learn.

“It’s actually nice to have an offseason to prepare for these kind of things,” he said. “Then again, it was nice to have the end of last year to kind of learn the role as head coach. In my opinion, getting thrown into the fire was kind of a good thing for me. I didn’t have a chance to make many mistakes. I had to learn on the go, and I didn’t have that offseason to think about the season.”

It helped that Taylor took over an experienced roster, including 10 seniors who’d all logged significant time at the varsity level under Thornburg. They didn’t need much of a push from the coach to be motivated down the stretch.

The Kewpies will be less seasoned without those seniors, including last year’s leading scorers Matt Baker and George Plakorus, the latter a second-team all-state selection in the midfield.

“We lost a lot of good players last year, but we have 13 seniors coming in this year and something like five juniors,” senior midfielder Brian Willcox said. “So we still have that upperclassmen experience.”

Taylor is also more familiar with the players he has. There were several varsity players he barely knew when he took over last season, and it took time to develop a rapport with them. But he has coached many of his current crop of upperclassmen up through the ranks, starting when he was Hickman’s freshman coach in 2007.

Many of them played key roles during last season’s late push, including Willcox, who scored Hickman’s lone goal in a 1-1 draw with Park Hill in last year’s third-place game; forward Colin Janicek, who tallied 16 points and is the team’s top returning scorer; and senior midfielder Andy Atkins, the Kewpies’ top reserve during the playoff run, who finished with six goals and three assists of his own. Chuck Wilson is also back to man the net after posting 10 shutouts last season.

“We have people on the team who have played significant minutes in every single position — midfielders, defenders and forwards — from last season,” Atkins said. “The team is very close-knit, I would say — more so than is typical. I definitely think that helps out, just knowing how guys think and move on the field. I definitely think we can have a really good year together.”

Taylor’s one significant adjustment after taking over in the middle of last season was to add an extra attacker to the Kewpies’ front line to help generate a little more offense.

He does not envision doing much to alter Hickman’s plan of attack this fall.

“Each year, you base your formation on your personnel, but I feel like that I have kids that are going to be able to step into similar roles as last year and replace some of those players that have exited,” Taylor said. “But we haven’t even played a game yet, so we could end up changing our system at some point.”

Hickman is starting its season a week later than crosstown rival Rock Bridge, but Taylor has actually packed the schedule with a few more games than in past seasons, so the Kewpies should stay plenty busy and sharp the next two months.

As for the coach, he’s just excited to be getting the opportunity to build on last year’s playoff run.

“To be honest, when I was taking over originally, I didn’t think it was going to be full-time,” Taylor said. “I wanted it to be, but I wasn’t sure that I was going to be the best candidate for the job. But I think I kind of proved that I was, and I’m confident in my ability to lead this team.”

Reach Steve Walentik at 573-815-1788 or e-mail swalentik@columbiatribune.com.

Hickman soccer ready even with loss of seniors

2010-08-27T22:00:00.002-05:00

Friday, August 27, 2010 10:39 p.m. CDT
BY Blair Weaver
COLUMBIA - The Hickman boys soccer team lost 10 seniors last season and now eagerly waits the start of the season with fresh legs.

With such a large senior class in 2009, head coach Adam Taylor prepares to bounce back after losing half of his team. Last year, the Kewpies had a successful season, making it as far as the state semifinals before coming up short to Christian Brothers College High School losing 6-2.

Taylor’s main focus is on districts, which begin Oct. 30.

“Right now we’re just trying to get comfortable," said Taylor. "We’re not making goals till mid-season. The season gets so long that we want to prepare at the right time."

Even though the varsity team roster differs from last year’s, the team still plans for a successful season. Taylor plans to utilize how well rounded his team is since the talent spreads so deep in the roster.

When it comes to players to watch for the 2010 season, Taylor stressed how much of a team effort this season will be.

“There isn’t one specific player to watch, not one player overshadows another,” Taylor said.

This years captains are Erik Pekkala, Andy Atkins and Brian Willcox. Returning players with varsity experience include Atkins, Willcox, Cody Gordon, Connor Hollrah and Alex Holliday.

“I have a team that a coach would want," said Taylor. "We have individual talent but we play better as a group. Any coach wants competitive players and equal level of play and that’s what I have. They’re very consistent."

The Kewpies had their Purple and Gold scrimmage Thursday and the season officially starts next Friday, Sept. 3. The Kewpies will face Maine South in the Quincy Tournament in Quincy, Illinois. They won the tournament in 2009.

New district assigment for soccer Class 3 District 9

2010-08-21T08:04:00.002-05:00

New District Assignments for Soccer Class 3

District 9

Hickman High School
Jefferson City High School
Rock Bridge High School
Smith-Cotton High School
Washington High School

Central MIssouri Allstars 2010 Jon Strotman Award- Congrats to Hickman's Matt Baker

2010-06-24T13:49:00.004-05:00

6/18/10

ALL STARS SET RECORDS!

The Third Annual Central Missouri All Star Game achieved several milestones on Thursday night. Over 60 participants from 14 different schools participated in the event on last night, a new record. Over $1,000 was raised for the American Cancer Society, while honoring the achievements of area high school senior soccer players, almost doubling the dollar amounts raised last year.

Although it was a hot night at Southern Boone County High School, the crowd and players were in a cheerful mood as many of central Missouri's finest high school players ended their soccer careers. Less than half of the players on the field will be playing soccer in college, while others will attend college, some will serve our country in the armed forces or will enter the work force.

In the men's game, scoring was the theme of the evening with the West team tallying three and the East team netting three as well. In the women's game, while the match was spirited and both teams having great efforts, the west won 3-0.

Awards were handed out for players of the game for both East and West teams. For the women's east team- Kinsey Shouse of Jefferson City and the women's west award went to Chelsi Libby of Camdenton. In the men's game Rhys McCracken won the men's west player of the game and on the east team Alec Nagel of Jefferson City won.

The Jon Strodtman award, given for "hustle, determination, and love of the game" were awarded by the coaches to Madi Goodman from Christian Fellowship, who will be playing collegiality at Calvin College, and Matthew Baker of Columbia Hickman, who will be attending Drury University and playing for the Panthers.

Thanks to all who helped. Special thanks to Kilgore's Medical Pharmacy, Soccer Pro, Southern Boone County High School (Chris Miller, Darlene Moore, and crew), Hoss' Market, Stephanie West at Peak Performance, Honey Baked Hams, Central Missouri Referees Association (Sean Hollrah, Sam Orr, Andy McKee, and Ken Seyer), and to all the high school coaches of mid-Missouri (last night's coaches Chuck Register of Helias, Chris Miller of SoBoCo, George Plakorus of Fulton, and Brad Ellebracht of Mexico).

2009 Game Recaps

2010-03-25T14:10:00.004-05:00

Varsity:

Stats from STL High School Sports

11/21 (Consolation game) vs Park Hill. Goal by Brian Willcox after a strong attack by Colin Janicek left the ball in front of the goal.
11/20 (Semifinals) vs CBC L 2-6 Goal by George Plakorus on a free kick earned by Colin Janicek. Second goal by Taylor Cox cleaning up a shot off the bar by George Plakorus.
11/14 (Quarterfinals) vs Kickapoo W 1-0. Goal by Brian Willcox assisted by Taylor Cox.
11/10 (Sectionals) vs Camdenton W 2-1 (OT). First goal by Alex Holliday assisted by Brian Willcox and game winning goal by George Plakorus assisted by Matt Baker.
11/6 (District 9 Final) vs. JC W 2-0. Goals Colin Janicek assisted by George Plakorus and Plakorus assisted by Jared Tonyan.
11/3 (Semi-Final-Districts) vs Rock Bridge W 1-0. Goal by George Plakorus-free kick.
10/31 (District) vs Smith-Cotton W 7-0. Key contributors: Colin Janicek 2 goals, Connor Hollrah 1 goal 1 assist, George Plakorus 1 goal 1 assist, Taylor Cox 1 goal, San Mouckouaby 1 goal, Brian Willcox 1 goal, Andy Atkins 2 assists
10/27:vs Camdenton L 1-1 PK 3-1 Goal George Plakorus. Taylor Cox (PK in shoot out)
10/24:vs. Rolla W 3-1 Goals Taylor Cox assisted by Colin Janicek, Goal Alex Holliday assited by Connor Hollrah, Goal Matt Baker assisted by Brian Wilcox
10/23:vs. Waynesville W 3-2 Matt Baker (2), Connor Hollrah (1) Assists George Plakorus and Colin Janicek
10/20:vs. Helias L 0-3
10/17:vs. Glendale W 2-0 Goals-Matt Baker and Alex Holliday: Assist George Plakorus
10/16:vs Kickapoo L 1-2 Goal Andy Atkins
10/3:vs. Hudson HS Wisconsin W 5-2 Goals Janicek(2), Baker(3): Assists Hollrah (2), Atkins (1), Janicek (1) G.Meyer(1), San(1)
10/3:vs. Morton HS, Illinois W 1-0 Goal-Alex Holliday Assisted by cross from Taylor Cox
10/2: vs. CBC JV: L 0-1
9/30:vs. Rockbridge L1-2: Goal- Colin Janicek
9/24: vs. Smith Cotton W 2-0: Goals-Matt Baker ,Andy Atkins Assist: Connor Hollrah
9/12: vs. Howell Central L1-2: Goal: Andy Atkins PK
9/12: vs. Francis Howell T 1-1: Goal:Alex Holliday Assist:Baker
9/11: vs. Howell North L 0-3
9/10: vs. Raymore-Peculiar- W 4-1: Goals-Taylor Cox (2), Alex Holliday, and Brian Willcox: Assists Baker,Hollrah, Grahm Meyer
9/8: vs. Jefferson City- L 0-1.
9/5: vs. Quincy Notre Dame- T 0-0
9/5: vs. Macomb-W 5-0: Goals-Andy Atkins (2), Connor Hollrah (2) and Brian Willcox Assists:Janicek and Cox
9/4: vs. Maine South-W 2-0: Goals-Taylor Cox and Andy Atkins.

Junior Varsity:

10/27:vs Camdenton W 1-0. Goal Joe Aubuchon.
10/21:vs Helias T 1-1. Goal Jeremy Landrey.
10/17:vs Glendale T 1-1
10/16:vs Kickapoo W 1-0.Goal Taylor Ray.
9/30:vs Rockbridge L 0-2.
9/25 RB Tournament vs Fulton W 4-0; vs JC W 1-0, vs RB L 0-4
9/24:vs Smith Cotton W 6-1. Goals Joe Aubuchon (3), Tommy Nabelek (2), & Taylor Ray.
9/18: vs Smithton, W 5-2, Goals: Jeremy Landrey (2), Spencer Miller, David Gardner-Dale and Joe Aubuchon.
9/12: vs Desmet, L 0-2
9/12: vs CBC, L 0-5
9/11: vs St Paul-Concordia-W 4-2, Goals: Taylor Ray, James Griggs, Adam Kopriva & Tommy Nabelek.
9/8: vs Smithton-W 1-0, Goal: Jeremy Landrey.
9/8: vs Green Ridge-W 10-1
9/2: vs Rock Bridge-W 1-0, Goal: Connor Hollrah

C-Team:

10/28: vs. Helias, T 2-2, Goals Scott Whitehill & Chris McCoy.
10/26: vs. Rock Bridge, L 2-1, Goal Chris McCoy.
10/8: vs. Stover L 3-2, Goals: Chris McCoy & Diego Herrera.
9/28: vs. Helias, T 3-3, Goals Diego Herrera (2) & Scott Whitehill.
9/24: vs. Rock Bridge, L 2-1, Goal: Chris McCoy
9/18: vs Smithton, W 2-0, Goals: Vencel Tigue and Cole Brendel.
9/12: vs. Desmet, L 0-4.
9/12: vs. CBC L 1-2, Goal: Vincel Teague.
9/10: vs. Raymore-Peculiar W 5-2
9/8: vs. Jefferson City L- 6-1
9/2: vs. Rock Bridge L- 0-3

2009 Memory Book

2010-03-24T11:22:00.000-05:00

Pages 97-118 are newspaper articles.

Hickman ranked 7th in final Missouri team rankings for Class 3 after finishing #3 in state finals

2009-12-10T15:22:00.004-06:00

After a strong finish in post season play, Hickman moved up the ranks to 7th in the final state ranking for 2009. See http://www.mosoccercoach.com/09boys3allstate.html
for the entire list. In addition, Hickman's George Plakorus was honored with selection to All State second team.

POST SEASON HONORS CLASS 3 2009

2009-12-07T12:34:00.005-06:00

CLASS 3 ALL STATE CENTRAL REGION

Adam Taylor-COACH OF THE YEAR
Chuck Wilson GK, George Plakorus MF, Matt Baker FWD.

DISTRICT 9 CLASS 3

Chuck Wilson GK,Cody Gordon BK, Logan Forsythe BK, George Plakorus MF, Matt Baker FWD

2nd team

Koby Meyer BK, Brian Willcox MF, Colin Janicek FWD.

Honorable Mention

James Moesel BK, Taylor Cox FWD.

See http://www.mosoccercoach.com/boyssoccer.html for complete team results.

Hickman ties in state soccer consolation game

2009-11-30T08:08:00.000-06:00

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/11/21/hickman-ties-state-soccer-consolation-game/

Hickman boys soccer team loses in state semifinals

2009-11-30T08:03:00.001-06:00

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/11/20/kewpies-lose-semifinal-game/

http://www.columbiatribune.com/weblogs/prep-repartee/2009/nov/22/video-six-goals-in-five-minutes/

Taylor puts Kewpies at ease

2009-11-19T19:40:00.002-06:00

Coaching change allowed Hickman to relax en route to state semifinals.

The Hickman boys soccer team is 10-4 and has advanced to the MSHSAA Class 3 semifinals since Adam Taylor, above, took over as coach of the Kewpies for Larry Thornburg in early October

By Andrew Wagaman

Thursday, November 19, 2009

The boys walk off the field. They smile, they give each other high-fives, they say things like, “good stuff.” If you are lucky, you’ll catch a hug or an exclamation of disbelief.

That’s only if you are lucky. For the most part, the boys of Hickman soccer have treated each of their postseason victories with the casual exuberance you would expect out of a competitive intramural team.

“Sweet, man.” “What a game.” “See you tomorrow.” “SSDD.”

Hold up, guys. Coach — yes, they have a coach — has another story.

It would be easy but unfair to decide that because the Kewpies’ evolution from a mediocre 4-4-2 team to a 14-8-2 Class 3 state semifinalist team corresponds with when Coach Adam Taylor took over, He is the key to it all, “The Answer.” Say what you want about Larry Thornburg, the former coach who resigned amid criticism in early October, but these players were just as good then as they are now, and the team’s strategies, while altered, are not wildly different or more successful under Taylor.

“It’s so free flow right now,” junior forward Colin Janicek said. “It’s really just us playing on the field; there’s no one interfering. We are a really loose team, and when we just do what we know how to do, we play so much better than when we are tense.”

What sounds like a rebuttal to Taylor’s influence is actually a testament to it. The Hickman soccer team has won four straight games against favored teams because, quite simply, Taylor has let them play like the boys want to play. He isn’t the answer, but it would be just as unfair to ignore the significance of his presence on the sideline.

When Thornburg took over as head coach in 2007, he offered Taylor, a Hickman alumnus and recent Missouri graduate, a job over lunch as the freshman coach. The next year, he was promoted to the JV team, which he coached until this October. When Thornburg resigned, Athletic Director Doug Mirts asked Taylor to take over at the Collinsville Tournament. He hopped into his car, met the team at the tournament and said the most honest thing he could think of.

“I told the kids that they had to be coached by someone, and I was that person, so they needed to listen to what I said and move forward,” he said.

That weekend Taylor made the most notable of his few strategic adjustments. Unhappy with the lack of opportunities the Kewpies were getting by running only one forward, he added another between the day’s two games. After escaping with a 1-0 win over Morton, Ill., in the morning, Hickman routed Hudson, Wis., 5-2, the most goals the team had scored all year.

“He gave it to us 10 minutes before we kicked off,” senior forward Taylor Cox said. “We didn’t really practice it or anything. It just worked out.”

Over the next month, it was more Taylor’s instructive approach than any technical changes that just worked out. Yes, he stressed possession soccer and keeping the ball on the ground, which has enabled the attack to control the game and facilitated the defense’s job. He has also demanded his backs to mark up on dangerous players such as Jeff City’s Alec Nagel or Kickapoo’s Skyler Russell, part of a broader emphasis on opponent-based preparation.

But it is his method of communication that the Hickman players always bring up first. They are reluctant to criticize Thornburg, but most agree that Taylor’s tendency to provide positive feedback has established a better connection than they had with their former coach.

“Whenever we’re not doing something right, he doesn’t pull us out for the rest of the game or anything,” Cox said. “He tells us what we have to do, and we try to do it to the best of our ability.”

“I think we had it all along but weren’t able to put it together,” Janicek said. “He ultimately helped us pick up our heads and play together more.”

Janicek, who played for Taylor as a freshman but didn’t get to know him very well until this year, says the coach quickly gained the trust and acceptance of his players by being straightforward with them and more of a peer than an authoritative figure.

“With any new coach, it takes awhile to bond,” he said. “We didn’t just jump in and commit to his thing — we had to learn a little bit about him. He opened up a lot to us and pretty much said, ‘What’s done is done, and we have to move on, because the season still has to go on.’ ”

An attacking player in high school, Taylor doesn’t pretend to take credit for the defense’s remarkable postseason, in which they have allowed just one goal. Rather, he turns to his most useful resource, assistant coach Conrad Hake, for pointers at practices and adjustments in games. Taylor preaches just one thing to his defense: the importance of focus. While it is nothing profound or particularly new, his players have truly taken the message to heart.

“He says the more mentally focused we are, the further we’ll go,” Cox said. “Our defense, especially Logan Forsythe, controls the game with mental play, and the physical play follows.”

Taylor, who is currently substitute-teaching and hopes to become a full-time teacher in the future, says he and the athletic department have decided not to deal with his coaching future until the season is over. If offered the job, though, he would readily accept.

“The kids have been great,” he said. “They’ve worked unbelievably hard for me, and I’d love to work with the younger kids again.”

Coach has a story — another one from his own trip to the state semifinals. You see, he was a freshman on the last Hickman team, in 1999, to advance to St. Louis. A few years later, his playing days were cut short when he injured his knee as a senior. He understands how fleeting one’s glory days can be and thus wants this footloose group of kids to realize that this is more than just “good stuff.”

“I’m always giving them a story, whether it’s motivational or humorous, just to understand how special this is,” Taylor said. “I want them to realize that these are memories that will last the rest of their lives.”

This article was published on page B1 of the Thursday, November 19, 2009 edition of The Columbia Daily Tribune. Click here to Subscribe.

Kewps prolong the magic

2009-11-15T19:38:00.000-06:00

Late score puts Hickman in the state final four.
By Andrew Wagaman

Sunday, November 15, 2009

WAYNESVILLE — Hickman’s Class 3 state quarterfinal game yesterday was a microcosm of the team’s season.

SOCCER
Hickman 1, Kickapoo 0

The Kewpies sleep-walked through the first half while managing to hold Kickapoo scoreless. They looked like a new team after intermission but still struggled to capitalize on opportunities.

Then, when it mattered most, they made it happen.

Junior midfielder Brian Wilcox scored on senior forward Taylor Cox’s corner kick with less than two minutes remaining in the game, giving Hickman a 1-0 victory and sending the team to St. Louis for the semifinals. The late goal embodied the Kewpies’ remarkable postseason surge.

Frustrated after the team’s seven previous second-half shots on goal, Cox directed his kick just a few yards outside the net. The ball barely flew over Kewpie George Plakorus’ head, but Wilcox was able to get his right foot on it.

“I just went up and tried to get to the ball as well as I could,” Wilcox said. “It’s a great feeling to score in the last few minutes of the game.”

“When we play possession soccer and look to find feet we are a great team,” Coach Adam Taylor said. “When we start kicking and dribbling too much we don’t perform very well. In the second half they” played possession soccer “and they came out and got a ‘W.’ I knew it was going to be a tough game, told my assistant coach on the way down, ‘It’s probably going to be a one-goal game.’”

The Kewpies (14-8-2) sure didn’t look excited to be at Waynesville High in the first half.

They reacted slowly, passed indiscriminately and just looked flat-out clumsy. In the first 10 minutes Kickapoo had two close-in headers, one wide and one hit straight to Hickman goalkeeper Chuck Wilson. Defender Cody Gordon seemed to get away with a handball in the box, and only a leaping save by Wilson stopped Ian Kennedy from netting a free kick from 5 yards out.

Then, late in the half, Aaron Strunk hit the crossbar on a close-range shot.

Hickman was forutnate to still be tied after 40 minutes of play.

“We got a few fortunate breaks in the half, and I was glad to go into half 0-0,” Taylor said. “It’s always about making halftime adjustments.”

One adjustment was how the Kewpies approached forward Skyler Russell, who consistently used a basketball post-up move to shield the ball and spin past his defender. Taylor had his players back off, forcing Russell to beat them straight-up.

“He likes to use a lot of body, so we gave him a little space,” Taylor said. “We didn’t let him get comfortable in the second half.”

Hickman took over the game in the final 20 minutes but had as much trouble finishing as the Chiefs had in the first half. Connor Hollrah missed right with just the goalie in front of him, and Cox was robbed on a shot that got past the goalie but was blocked by defender Dane Ruggeri on the goal line. Cox’s perfect corner kick in the 79th minute compensated for it.

Kickapoo was the fourth straight team to have its season ended by Hickman after beating the Kewpies during the regular season. The Chiefs won 2-1 on Oct. 16. Taylor believes Hickman’s postseason success grows from the seed of confidence planted after a 7-0 victory over Smith-Cotton in the District 9 quarterfinals.

“You do that against any opponent and, especially in the district tournament, you know you have a team that’s ready to go,” he said.

Friday at 5 p.m. at the Anheuser-Busch soccer complex, Hickman takes on Christian Brothers College (23-4-3), which beat Vianney 2-1 in double overtime. Unfortunately, the Kewpies did not play and lose to CBC during the regular season. The game will be their most formidable test yet.

But while the players are tickled by the fact that they’ve gone from the fourth seed in District 9 to one of the final four teams in the state, don’t expect them to play like they don’t belong there.

“We’re just going to go out there and leave it all on the field,” Wilcox said. “I don’t think any of us expected to be going to the state final four at the beginning of the season, but it has really come together in the postseason. Everyone has played really hard and well together.”

“Just because it’s CBC doesn’t mean they walk on the field and beat you,” Taylor said. “They’re going to have to go through 80 minutes of us.

“No matter what happens, we’re going to have fun, a lot of fun. This is about the players, and they need to cherish this forever, because this doesn’t come along very often.”

This article was published on page B9 of the Sunday, November 15, 2009 edition of The Columbia Daily Tribune. Click here to Subscribe.

Hickman boys soccer team advances to state semifinals

2009-11-15T19:25:00.000-06:00

Saturday, November 14, 2009 | 6:37 p.m. CST
BY Mark Levitt

The Hickman boys soccer team is not done yet.

The Kewpies advanced to the Class 3 state semifinals with a 1-0 win over Kickapoo in quarterfinal play Saturday in Waynesville.

Hickman’s journey began on Halloween, when it won its first of three games in a district tournament where it was the fourth out of five seeds. It continued when junior Brian Wilcox kicked in senior Taylor Cox’s corner-kick pass with less than two minutes remaining in the quarterfinals Saturday afternoon.

Coach Adam Taylor described himself as ecstatic.

“As a coach there’s not a much better time to score,” Taylor said. “Getting it in that last minute and a half, all we had to do was kill a minute and a half. It was perfect.”

Taylor said his team was outplayed in the first half. But after adjusting at halftime, the Kewpies took control and produced eight second-half shots on goal compared to one for Kickapoo.

As Cox stepped up to take the corner, he made an effort not to let the ball float too far from the goal. He said he hadn’t been giving his team a chance to score in the previous postseason games. He was shocked as he saw the ball hit net.

“I stared at the clock and couldn’t believe it,” Cox said. “Brian came and we celebrated.”

Hickman now turns its attention to Christian Brothers College High School, which defeated Vianney 2-1 in two overtimes in it's quarterfinal game. The two teams will meet at 5 p.m. Friday in Fenton. Taylor said he is glad the Kewpies have the full week to prepare for CBC, which he said is the top-ranked team in the state.

“Just because their jerseys say CBC doesn’t mean they’re ripe for the finals,” Taylor said. “We wouldn’t have made it this far if we weren’t a good team.”

Hickman crosses another team off the list

2009-11-12T08:31:00.000-06:00

Hickman crosses another team off the list
By Andrew Wagaman

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Advertisement

JEFFERSON CITY — Cross another team off the hit list.

SOCCER TUESDAY NIGHT
Sectional

Hickman 2, Camdenton 1

Saturday

Quarterfinal

Hickman vs. Kickapoo, 1 p.m. in Waynesville
The Hickman soccer team took down Camdenton 2-1 in overtime last night to advance to the Class 3 state quarterfinals. The Kewpies won their third consecutive game over an opponent who beat them during the regular season.

“I was glad that we pulled this team again,” Coach Adam Taylor said. “When I found out they beat Rolla, I was pretty excited. We keep getting these revenge matches and keep chugging along. I’m really proud of this team.”

“We have a little joke going: end teams’ seasons,” senior forward George Plakorus said. “We like being able to practice while they are sitting at home.”

It’s safe to say the Lakers don’t find the joke funny, especially when Plakorus terminated their season 3½ minutes into the first overtime. Recalling two weeks ago, when Camdenton beat his team after two overtimes on penalty kicks, the wing resolved not to let the game get to that point.

After often using the sideline to attack the past two weeks, Plakorus tended to cut inside last night. It did not work for most of the game, but upon receiving a pass from Matt Baker, he pulled the move off twice before sending the ball into the left corner of the net.

“Matt played the ball from midfield, and I cut the ball back,” Plakorus said. “The defender tried to grab the ball from me, but I got to the box, cut it back again and finished. Last game, I took it down the line a lot, and Coach said to take it inside one or two times.”

Hickman dominated the first half, controlling possession despite an extremely aggressive Camdenton defense. The team worked the ball from side to side and rarely made an errant pass. In the 25th minute, it paid off when Brian Willcox burst past a defender on the left side of the box and sent a pass toward the right post. Alex Holliday deflected the ball off his right foot before goalie Ryan Moriearty could react.

But the Kewpies came out on their heels in the second half, hardly resembling their earlier selves. The Lakers attacked like it was the final minute of the game from the 40th minute onward, and after a few great saves by Chuck Wilson, they tied the game on Jeff Dorhauer’s shot to the upper right corner.

“We played to protect a lead in the second half, and that came back to bite us in the butt,” Taylor said. “We quit playing possession soccer. That was not our intention. I don’t know where that came from.”

Both teams had chances to end the game in the final 12 minutes, but each goalie made gutsy saves. In overtime, Wilson made yet another play on a Jeron Sinclair shot, and the revitalized Kewpies scored 30 seconds later.

“We hadn’t given a goal up” all postseason, “and I told these guys, ‘There will be a time when someone will score on you in this tournament, and you’re going to have to handle the adversity,’ ” Taylor said. “We did that tonight.”

Plakorus noted how exhausted the team was after beating Rock Bridge and Jefferson City last week.

“We were tired emotionally and physically, because those last two games took a lot out of us,” he said. “I think as soon as we got up we calmed down.”

The surging forward — he has scored in the last five games — made up for it. Upon scoring, Plakorus tore off his jersey and was swarmed by teammates and a few Hickman students elated after an angst-filled second half.

Now, the Kewpies (13-8-2) will play yet another team that beat them earlier in the year — Kickapoo, a 2-1 victor over Carthage in last night’s sectional round. The quarterfinal game will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday in Waynesville.

Hickman’s vendettas have not been settled just yet.

“You never pull for one team or another,” Taylor said prior to hearing the final score between the District 11 and 12 champions. “But if we get a chance to play Kickapoo, we’ll use that as motivation.”

Hickman boys soccer team wins sectional

2009-11-11T07:20:00.004-06:00

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 10:15 p.m. CST

Alex Holliday, left, celebrates with teammate San Mouckoudby after Holiday scored for Hickman in its 2-1 overtime victory Tuesday night over Camdenton in Class 3 sectional competition. ¦ CHELSEA SEKTNAN/Missourian

BY Tony Markovich
JEFFERSON CITY — Hickman got what it wanted: An end to Camdenton’s season.
The Hickman boys’ soccer team won in Class 3 sectional competition Tuesday night defeating Camdenton 2-1 in overtime at the Art Firley Soccer Complex in Jefferson City.

Hickman's Taylor Cox, left, and Adam Brenner take the ball away from Camdenton's Jeron Sinclair in the Kewpies' Class 3 sectional victory Tuesday night in Jefferson City.

Hickman midfielder Cody Gorda heads the ball over Camdenton defender Spencer Thompson in the Kewpies Class 3 sectional victory Tuesday night in Jefferson City.

Tuesday’s game wasn’t the first time the Kewpies faced the Lakers in overtime. In the last game of the regular season, Hickman was tied at 1 with Camdenton before falling in penalty kicks.

The loss spurred a running joke that has lasted through the Kewpies' playoff run: “End teams’ seasons.” What started as a joke has turned into a goal, according to senior forward George Plakorus.

“We just want to send 'em home,” Plakorus said. “We like being able to continue practicing while they are sitting at home.”

During the postseason, beating teams that have previously defeated the Kewpies in the regular season has become a trend. All five opponents the Kewpies faced thus far in the postseason had won regular season games against Hickman.

“We know how team’s play now after seeing them the first time,” junior goalkeeper Chuck Wilson said. “We make our game plans to cope with how they played before.”

Wilson did not want the game to go to penalty kicks again.

“(The tie) was the same scenario as last time, but we pulled it out this time," Wilson said. “We practiced penalty kicks, but going into PK’s is something you never want to do. So we picked it up, played hard, and finished it early.”

The Kewpies struck first in the 25th minute when Brian Willcox crossed the ball from the left side to Alex Holliday who was standing in the box ready to put it in.

Despite carrying the 1-0 lead deep into the second half, the Kewpies style of play was noticeably different.

“We played a little too cautious in the second half and quit playing possession soccer,” Kewpies coach Adam Taylor said. "I don’t’ know where that came from, but we kind of played to protect the lead in the second half and it came back to bite us in the butt.”

The bite came in the 69th minute when Camdenton senior Jeff Dorhauer slipped through the defense and tied it up.

Plakorus attributes the change in play to fatigue.

“We lost our nerves a little bit, got too excited for the finish,” Plakorus said. “The last two games were really emotional and it took a lot out of us … After we scored, we kind of broke down a little, started just kicking it around. That’s not how we need to play to win.”

Camdenton’s goal was the first allowed by the Kewpies this postseason.

“I told these guys at practice this week there was going to come a time when somebody is going to score on you in this tournament, and you are going to have to handle some adversity, and we did that tonight," Taylor said.

Plakorus scored the winning goal just 3:30 into the first 15-minute overtime period after making a cut to the box and sending the ball to the far post.

The Kewpies (13-8-2) advance to the Class 3 state quarterfinals to play Kickapoo (19-7), which they lost to 2-1 during the regular season. The match begins at 1 p.m. at Waynesville High School.

Hickman's Taylor Cox, left, and Adam Brenner take the ball away from Camdenton's Jeron Sinclair in the Kewpies' Class 3 sectional victory Tuesday night in Jefferson City.

Hickman midfielder Cody Gorda heads the ball over Camdenton defender Spencer Thompson in the Kewpies Class 3 sectional victory Tuesday night in Jefferson City.

Hickman Boys Soccer Team Wins Sectionals

2009-11-10T21:38:00.003-06:00

The Hickman boys soccer team beat Camdenton 2-1 in overtime Tuesday night in Class 3 sectional competition to advance to the state quarterfinals. The Kewpies will play Kickapoo on Saturday at Waynesville.

Coaching changes equal success in soccer

2009-11-08T09:00:00.003-06:00

By Rus Baer

Sunday, November 8, 2009

It appears the easiest path to a district soccer title in Columbia is to change coaches midseason.

Rock Bridge did it this past spring after Kelly Gates resigned five games into the girls season, and the Hickman boys followed suit on Thursday with a 2-0 win over second-seeded and state-ranked Jefferson City for the Class 3 District 9 crown on LeMone Field.

Perhaps the players and parents know what they’re doing after all.

I’m joking, but the postseason berth is Hickman’s first since 2001 and continues an impressive turnaround for the Kewpies since Larry Thornburg’s abrupt resignation as coach on Oct. 2.

With former assistant Adam Taylor taking over for Thornburg, the Kewpies (12-8-2) have gone 8-4 — including a surprising run to the district title as the tournament’s fourth seed.

Hickman will now face Camdenton (16-2-1) at 6 p.m. Tuesday in a Class 3 sectional at 179 Soccer Park in Jefferson City. The Lakers beat the Kewpies 2-1 (3-1 on penalty kicks) on Oct. 27 in Hickman’s regular-season finale.

A win this time around would advance the Kewpies to a quarterfinal at 1 p.m. Saturday in Waynesville against Kickapoo or Carthage.

I don’t confess to know much about soccer, but a state semifinal berth definitely seems possible for the Kewpies. In the two district games I watched, Hickman clearly had the better of play against top-seeded Rock Bridge — a 1-0 semifinal win — and sixth-ranked Jefferson City.

If you don’t believe me -check out the video posted on the Prep Repartee blog. The blog seems to have developed a sudden soccer following. The video clip of Hickman’s two goals against the Jays — and Colin Janicek’s rather exuberant celebration after his score — hasn’t quite gone viral, but it has already received more hits than any football game footage posted on the blog.

Hickman's two goals vs. Jeff City

2009-11-06T15:08:00.000-06:00

Hickman STATS

2009-11-06T15:00:00.000-06:00

Schedule
. Fri, 9/4/2009 5:30 p.m. vs. Maine South at Paul Dennis C W 2-0
. Sat, 9/5/2009 9 a.m. vs. Macomb at Paul Dennis C W 5-0
. Sat, 9/5/2009 1 p.m. vs. Quincy Notre Dame at Paul Dennis C 0-0
. Tue, 9/8/2009 6:30 p.m. at Jefferson City L 0-1
. Thu, 9/10/2009 6:30 p.m. at Raymore Peculiar W 4-1
. Fri, 9/11/2009 5:45 p.m. at Howell North L 0-3
. Sat, 9/12/2009 10 a.m. vs. Howell at Howell C. L 1-1
. Sat, 9/12/2009 6 p.m. at Howell Central L 1-2
. Thu, 9/24/2009 6:30 p.m vs. Smith-Cotton W 2-0
. Wed, 9/30/2009 6:30 p.m. at Rock Bridge L 1-2
. Fri, 10/2/2009 3 p.m. at CBC JV L 0-1
. Sat, 10/3/2009 9:45 a.m. vs. Morton at Metro United W 1-0
. Sat, 10/3/2009 3:30 p.m. vs. Hudson, Wisconsin at Metro United W 5-2
. Fri, 10/16/2009 6:30 p.m. vs. Spg Kickapoo L 1-2
. Sat, 10/17/2009 11:30 a.m. vs. Sprg. Glendale W 2-0
. Tue, 10/20/2009 6:30 p.m. at Helias L 0-3
. Fri, 10/23/2009 6:45 p.m. at Waynesville W 3-2
. Sat, 10/24/2009 10:45 a.m. vs. Rolla at W 3-1
. Tue, 10/27/2009 6:30 p.m. vs. Camdenton at L 1-2
. Sat, 10/31/2009 2 p.m. vs. Sedalia W 7-0
. Tue, 11/3/2009 5 p.m. vs. Rock Bridge W 1-0
. Thu, 11/5/2009 6 p.m. vs. Jefferson City W 2-0
. Tue, 11/10/2009 6 p.m. vs. Camdenton at 179 Soccer Pk 0-0

Goalie statistics
# Name Min Wins Loss Ties Pct SO Solo Shared GA Avg. Sv Pct
0 Chuck Wilson 1780 12 8 2 591 9 9 0 22 0.99 197 0.900

Scoring statistics

Hickman Wins District Crown

2009-11-06T14:37:00.002-06:00

Kewpies pull off another surprise.
By Andrew Wagaman
Friday, November 6, 2009

With the Hickman soccer program in tumult at the beginning of October, few could have foreseen the turnaround that followed in the next month.

“We had a really good team, but we had trouble fitting the pieces together,” junior Colin Janicek said. “I think we finally started to mesh after all the trouble. It was difficult, but we got it done.”

After the Kewpies’ 2-0 victory over sixth-ranked Jefferson City last night, Coach Adam Taylor reminisced on the rough transition midseason after former head Coach Larry Thornburg resigned.

I think it took a week or two for them to understand exactly what I wanted and to actually trust me,” Taylor said. “After we got a couple of wins, they thought, ‘Oh, maybe he knows what he’s talking about.’ ”

And after a 2-1 regular-season-finale loss to Camdenton, Hickman gritted its teeth and jammed its way through the postseason. A once middling defense suddenly became invincible and hasn’t given up a single goal in the last three games.

“The back line has gone from mediocre to just outstanding in two weeks,” Taylor said. “It’s been incredible.”

Janicek, who scored the game-winning goal 67 minutes into the championship game, felt the Kewpies were able to knock off two teams that beat them in the regular season by peaking after gradual improvement since Taylor took over.

“We bonded with Coach Taylor a little bit more,” he said. “We finally started connecting, settled down and came into our own together. Once we started connecting on passes, we started finishing, which is probably the biggest thing.”

It was a crisp pass and a strong finish that untied a scoreless game that seemed destined to go to overtime. George Plakorus deftly stopped a pass by Matthew Baker from rolling out of bounds and then sent a cross to the middle of the box. Janicek one-timed the ball into the left side of the net.

“George was just being George and did something creative,” Janicek said. “Kirt” Harris, a midfielder “went in first, and I thought he was going to get a touch on it. When he let it through, I thought, ‘that’s mine.’ ”

The goal came two minutes after a score by Alex Holliday was called back as offside. Taylor was disappointed by the call but had a feeling that the tide had turned.

“I knew that the call would give us some momentum,” he said. “We still put it in the back of the net, and the guys got a lift from that.”

Plakorus capped off a remarkable personal resurgence with a breakaway insurance goal in the 77th minute. Since the game against Camdenton — in which he scored his first goal — he has netted one a game.

“He’s just come through perfectly for us in a crucial time of the year,” Taylor said. “Some kids step up” in the postseason, “and George has definitely picked it up.”

While the Kewpies’ run after the loss to Camdenton might seem strange, Taylor says it has not been due to newfound confidence as much as a revelation that they needed to finish better.

Hickman may have another shot at Camdenton in the Class 3 Sectional if the Lakers beat Rolla in their district final. The Kewpies will be ready for either at 6 on Tuesday night.

“We need to keep playing the way we have been — with shut-out defense,” Janicek said. “We need to take care of chances when we get them.”

Photo by Parker Eshelman
Published November 6, 2009
Colin Janicek celebrates after scoring a goal during Hickman’s 2-0 victory over Jefferson City in Thursday night’s district title game.

This article was published on page B1 of the Friday, November 6, 2009 edition of The Columbia Daily Tribune. Click here to Subscribe.

Hickman wins boys soccer district championship

2009-11-06T11:01:00.008-06:00

Hickman wins boys soccer district championship
Thursday, November 5, 2009 10:10 p.m. CST

BY Tony Markovich
Kewpies forward Colin Janicek celebrates his goal against Jefferson City during the second half of the Class 3 District 9 championship game Thursday at Hickman High School. ¦ PATRICK T. FALLON / MISSOURIAN ___________________________________________________
COLUMBIA — After being handed the plaque for the Class 3, District 9 Boys Soccer Championship on Thursday night, the Kewpies hoisted their coach Adam Taylor on their shoulders and into the air as they yelled and screamed in celebration of their 2-0 victory over second-seeded Jefferson City.

The last time Hickman won a district title was in 2001. Back then, Taylor was still a student at Hickman and the starting forward for the soccer team. Taylor said the feeling was completely different on Thursday.

“Wow, I never ever thought I would be at this point,” Taylor said. “This feeling almost trumps it. This is a great feeling doing it for 18 other people. It's just different when you can motivate them and go out and beat two district rivals in three nights. I’m kind of at a loss for words.”

Taylor said he almost felt like a parent watching his players.

“It’s the best feeling in the world, whenever you are able to watch other kids succeed,” Taylor said. That’s what I do it for, the kids. And whenever you can watch them succeed and see them play at a high level, it’s amazing.”

Before the game, Taylor told his players what it was like to win a district title.

“Yeah, he brought that up the other day,” senior forward George Plakorus said. “He wanted us to take his record from him and prove that we could do it. He was pushing us a lot because he wanted us to do just as good as he did when he was here. His goal from the beginning was for us to win districts, and now we have.”

After losing to Rock Bridge 2-1 and Jefferson City 1-0 during the regular season, the fourth-seeded Kewpies needed to make some changes in order to beat both teams in the postseason.

“Instead of dribbling all the time, we settled down and really came into our own,” junior forward Colin Janicek said. “The players got along so much better after the midpoint of the season. It took a lot to get going, but once we got our passes going and started finishing, we put it in the back of the net.”

“It’s good revenge obviously, Plakorus said. “We had our chances against Rock Bridge and Jeff City and we just couldn’t finish before. That’s what we’ve been working on the past two to three weeks and it all came together when it needed to.”

In addition to the improvements to the offense, the defense has held up strong, notching three straight shutouts in the tournament. Taylor said he noticed the progression of the defense over the second half of the season.

“The defensive line played outstanding this evening,” Taylor said. “They were like a rock back there … When I started coaching, I was confident in our attack, but I was sorta spotty on our defense at times. Now, the defense has raised their level so much, that I can’t say either side of the ball has an advantage anymore.”

To further fuel his team’s fire, Taylor brought up last year’s district tournament to the team.

“I used the media release from last year that said ‘Kewpies lose to Jefferson City,’” Taylor said. “I showed them the actual article last night and I said to them, ‘Do you want to be this team, or do you want to be the team that makes their own headline?’ I think they really responded from that.”

The game went scoreless throughout the first half and much of the second half, but Hickman broke through with a goal with 13 minutes left in the game.

Plakorus, who originally thought the ball was out, cut back and played the ball right across the middle to a streaking Janicek to put the Kewpies up 1-0.

“I thought Kirt (Harris) was going to get a touch on it, but it went through, and I was like ‘That’s mine’ and just put it in,” Janicek said. “It was great.”

Taylor said he was was relieved to see the Kewpies strike first.

“I preached that to them at practice. We’ve got to score first,” Taylor said. I was hoping it would come in the first half. I asked for them to be ahead at half so we could move on from there, but I guess that’ll work. A goal is a goal, and I’m glad we got it first.”

With four minutes remaining, Plakorus fought off leg cramps, outran the Jefferson City defenders, and slipped the ball past the Jays’ goalie to put the Kewpies up 2-0.

The Kewpies advance to a sectional game on Tuesday in Jefferson City. They will face the winner of Thursday's late District 10 title game between Camdenton and Rolla.

“At this point, you just gotta stay mentally tough, and we are actually getting more mentally sharp by the day it seems like,” Taylor said

The Hickman soccer team celebrates their victory over Jefferson City in the Class 3 District 9 championship game .

Hickman soccer coach Adam Taylor congratulates his team as they celebrate their victory over Jefferson City. The last time the Kewpies won the championship, Taylor was a player on the team.

Kewpies strike first, hold on against Bruins

2009-11-04T21:15:00.003-06:00

Hickman to play Jeff City for district title

By Andrew Wagaman
Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Class 3 District 9
TUESDAY NIGHT
Semifinals
Hickman 1, Rock Bridge 0
Jefferson City 1, Troy Buchanan 0
THURSDAY
Final
Jefferson City at Hickman, 6 p.m.

Photo by Parker Eshelman
Hickman’s George Plakorus is congratulated by teammate Koby Meyer after scoring the winning goal in Tuesday night’s 1-0 victory over Rock Bridge.

Many of the Hickman soccer players walked off the field stonefaced after 80 minutes of a Class 3 District 9 semifinal game against top-seeded Rock Bridge on LeMone Field.

Even after securing a 1-0 upset of their crosstown rivals, the Kewpies seemed to maintain the tunnel-vision focus that they used to stifle the Bruins.

“They came to play,” Hickman Coach Adam Taylor said. “I preached to them that if they played the way I asked them to, they’d come out with a victory tonight, and they did exactly what I wanted them to do.”

If one of Taylor’s requests to his defense was to deny the opposing attack mentally as well as physically, they surely listened. Hickman (11-8-2) had the unenviable task of playing with a 1-0 lead for 74 minutes, but the confident backs played like they were used to protecting leads against Rock Bridge (13-9), which won the first meeting this season 2-1.

“Our intensity was really high,” goalie Chuck Wilson said. “We talked a lot — our communication was great tonight. We played like one team.”

As the desperate Bruins vigorously attacked in the second half, Logan Forsythe and Koby Meyer countered the speed and agility of Rock Bridge players such as Rhys McCracken and George Baird with their size. When the Bruins managed to get open and take shots, Wilson anticipated every one.

“I was trying to keep the ball in front of me as much as I could,” he said. “It was coming at me left and right nonstop the second half.”

Cognizant of the Bruins’ tendency to capitalize on headers and long crosses, Taylor emphasized outfighting them in the air.

“We knew their strategy was to send the ball in the air to the far post,” he said. “I preached to them that if we win the ball in the air we would win the game.”

Almost lost in the suspense surrounding the second half was George Plakorus’ odd goal six minutes into the game. Rock Bridge’s early anxiousness led to numerous Hickman free kicks. Plakorus sent one — a line drive that was meant for forward Matthew Baker — a little left of where Baker meant to head it. He inadvertently blocked goalie Brady Wulff’s line of sight, allowing Plakorus’ kick to roll uncontested into the far left corner. At the other end of the field, Wilson was confused by what he’d seen.

“I was like, ‘Is anybody going to get that?’ ” he said. “I saw the other goalie standing still. I was amazed. I did not expect it to go in.”

After the first 10 minutes, and especially in the second half, Rock Bridge Coach Kyle Austin felt his team outplayed the Kewpies.

“We created a number of opportunities for ourselves,” he said. “We had two balls on our forwards’ feet inside the 18 and neither one could make good solid contact. Ironically, we played better this time against them than over at our place when we beat them.”

As time passed, the Bruins became progressively frustrated, leading to an extremely physical second half. At one point Wilson was bodyslammed out of bounds as he collected the ball.

“We talked about that a halftime,” Taylor said. “I said, ‘The last 20 minutes they’re going to be coming at you, and you need to keep your composure because you can’t give them free pieces outside the box.’ ”

Fourth-seeded Hickman bottled the momentum it gained from a 7-0 quarterfinal victory over Smith-Cotton on Saturday. Taylor hopes that his team does not drain all of it before the district final against second-seeded Jefferson City at 6 p.m. tomorrow. The Jays (10-5-3) beat Troy Buchanan 1-0 last night in the semifinals.

This article was published on page B1 of the Wednesday, November 4, 2009 edition of The Columbia Daily Tribune. Click here to Subscribe.

Hickman vs Rock Bridge (Semi-Final)

2009-11-04T15:13:00.000-06:00

New Hickman soccer coach leads Kewpies to district championship

2009-11-04T08:19:00.002-06:00

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 8:03 p.m. CST
BY Mark Levitt

COLUMBIA — Hickman soccer coach Adam Taylor let out an exuberant cheer as he ran on the field jumping and spinning in circles, celebrating his team’s 1-0 victory Tuesday in the Class 3, District 9 semifinals at Hickman.

The win was a special one for Taylor. He and his team have been through a season full of change, highlighted by the resignation of former coach Larry Thornburg in the beginning of October. At the time, Taylor was an assistant on the coaching staff.

Senior forward George Plakorus, who scored the winner for Hickman, said it took some time for the team to adjust to its new coach.

“We had to go through the realization that he’s (Thornburg) not the coach anymore,” Plakorus said. “It took us a couple of practices to get used to the fact that coach Taylor is now our coach, and we need to pay attention and listen to what he has to say.”

Plakorus said he and his teammates were stunned when they first heard the news of Thornburg’s resignation. At the time, Taylor, 25, gathered the team and told them they had the control to determine the way the rest of the season played out.

“I just told them let’s move forward, whatever happened, happened,” Taylor said. “Whatever happens from this point on is the team you guys are going to make yourselves.”

The style of Hickman’s attack changed with its coach. Plakorus said Taylor incorporated more passing and movement. Players were also given more freedom to shoot the ball in more situations. Plakorus said he thinks the changes have improved the team.

Taylor said the hardest part about the switch from assistant to head coach were the little aspects. He now has to handle substitutions and decide when to do which drills during practices.

“There’s a lot of things you don’t do as an assistant coach that you do as a head coach,” Taylor said. “It’s a whole different world.”

Taylor brought his own coaching style to the Kewpies. Plakorus said that while the coach may be a big yeller during matches, he has a calm demeanor throughout practices. Taylor gives positive feedback, even when his players make mistakes.

While his demeanor may be calm, the young coach is a bundle of energy on the sidelines. At one point during the second half of Hickman’s victory over Rock Bridge on Tuesday, Taylor sprinted full speed down the sideline to contest a call he felt was wrong.

He refused to sit still throughout the match. He crouched. He stood up. He crossed his arms. He paced along the sideline. His body didn’t allow him to relax on the bench.

As the clock ticked down to under six minutes in the game, Taylor moved a few yards from his bench and crouched down by himself. He held on to his hair as Rock Bridge had opportunity after opportunity to score.

“I’m a young guy, but that’ll make you old, those last six minutes,” Taylor said. “We kept our composure.”

Taylor is the coach on an interim basis. He doesn’t know if he will hold the position beyond this year. But with a district championship game to be played Thursday, he’s not worrying about his future.

“We haven’t talked about that part of it yet,” Taylor said. “We’re focused on 2009 right now.”

Win over Rock Bridge advances Hickman to district boys soccer final

2009-11-04T08:11:00.005-06:00

Hickman senior James Moesel, center, takes the ball past a group of Rock Bridge players in the Kewpies' 1-0 victory Tuesday in the Class 3 District 9 semifinals at Hickman. ¦ CHELSEA SEKTNAN/Missourian

BY Kevin Deane

COLUMBIA — All Hickman wanted was a rematch. On Tuesday, the fourth-seeded Kewpies got one and took advantage, hanging on to beat top-seeded Rock Bridge 1-0 in the Class 3, District 9 semifinals at Hickman. The Kewpies had lost to the Bruins 2-1 on Sept. 30.

Tuesday's winner came when HIckman senior George Plakorus scored from a free kick in the eighth minute on a botched cross to fellow senior, Matt Baker.

Rock Bridge forward C J Ross tries to push the ball past Hickman midfielder Matthew Baker and forward Taylor Cox in the Kewpies' 1-0 victory Tuesday in the Class 3 District 9 semifinals at Hickman.

“I noticed in other games that he (Baker) would make his run to the near post,” Plakorus said.

“So that is where I tried to put it to where, even if he missed it, it was on the goal. I guess he went to hit it, but he missed, and the keeper couldn’t get to it far-post. It’s good to get lucky.”

Hickman coach Adam Taylor didn’t think the goal enough to give his team a victory. Since he took over as head coach on Oct. 2, Taylor has added an extra forward to put pressure on the opposing teams and get some extra scoring opportunities.

“When coach Taylor took over he just gave us a little more freedom to shoot,” Plakorus said. “And that’s why he put that extra guy up top. It gives him more shots and more chances to finish.”

The extra pressure from the Kewpies in the first half was a completely different scenario for junior Rock Bridge goalkeeper, Brady Wulff. In the first matchup, Wulff didn’t face a single shot until the 38th minute. He faced five in the first nine minutes of Tuesday’s game.

Rock Bridge also created a lot of the Kewpies early opportunities with fouls. Rock Bridge coach Kyle Austin said it was something that hurt his team early on.

“They (Hickman) utilized their strengths and found feet and their skill players ran at us,” Austin said. “We had trouble with them for the first 10 minutes, but we gave up a few free kicks in our third (of the field), and it ultimately led to the goal. It was a kind of unlucky, soft goal, but sometimes a goal like that is all it takes.”

Taylor said the Kewpies' main goal was to score first and let the Bruins try to catch up.

“I preached to them for two straight days, and they ran the style of play I asked them to tonight,” Taylor said. “I told them that we had to score first and whenever that whistle blew, our goal was to score as quickly as possible, Fortunately we got that goal, and held on all night.”

Hickman almost didn’t get their shot at redemption, though. Going into the seeding meeting, the Kewpies and Troy Buchanan were deadlocked for the third seed, with Troy Buchanan ultimately getting the nod.

Austin said he was a little disappointed when they drew Hickman, thinking the Kewpies were better than Troy Buchanan. But with no head-to-head meetings or common opponents, it was hard to judge.

“Watching Troy play a couple times and playing Hickman and watching them play a couple of other times, I felt that Hickman was the vastly superior team,” Austin said, “But my opinion counts for only one of the five in the seeding meeting.”

Taylor said he thinks that drawing the lower seed and getting to play the extra game against Smith-Cotton (a 7-0 victory) was ultimately a big advantage for his team. Instead of coming out cold against the Bruins, his team got to warm up and get the feel for district competition.

“I was glad to take it (the No. 4 seed) so we could play Saturday, and get some extra momentum,” Taylor said. “It worked to our advantage. We got to feel district play first while they (the Bruins) got to wait for us. You can’t determine the voting because you can’t vote for yourself, but I was happy with it. "

Austin said he was happy with the way his team played, and that there was no shame in losing to Hickman, and thought they were a better team than their record or seed showed.

“They played some tough competition all season-long and hung tough, even with the coaching change and everything they went through. I always said I thought they were one of the better teams in the district, and here everybody has a chance.”

After the emotional win, Taylor said he still expects more in the district final on Thursday.

“I’m really proud of the guys, and they’ve fought hard the past couple of weeks, but we are in no means done.” Taylor said. “We have bigger things ahead of us. We’ll celebrate a little tonight, and even though its cliché, we’ll be back to working on things tomorrow.”

The Kewpies will face off against Jefferson City in the MSHSSA Class 3, District 9 championship

at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Robert M. Lemone Field at Hickman.

Rock Bridge forward C J Ross tries to push the ball past Hickman midfielder Matthew Baker and forward Taylor Cox in the Kewpies' 1-0 victory Tuesday in the Class 3 District 9 semifinals at Hickman.

Kewps Turn Up Pressure

2009-11-01T09:59:00.003-06:00

Tigers have no answers vs. Hickman.
By Andrew Wagaman
Sunday, November 1, 2009

__________________________________________________________________
SOCCER
Class 3 District 9
YESTERDAY
Hickman 7, Smith-Cotton 0
TUESDAY
Hickman at Rock Bridge,
5 p.m..
___________________________________________________________________

What was Hickman goalie Chuck Wilson thinking about for most of the Class 3 District 9 quarterfinal game versus Smith-Cotton?

“Probably day-dreaming about what he was going to dress up as for Halloween tonight,” forward George Plakorus said.

Wilson had little else to do in the Kewpies’ 7-0 victory. His teammates managed to keep the ball about 80 yards away from him for nearly all 80 minutes. While doing so, they managed to take advantage of ample opportunities.

“We wanted to dominate this game from start to finish to give our guys some confidence going into Tuesday night,” Coach Adam Taylor said. “It was a good opportunity to show what we can do.”

Plakorus scored one goal and provided a perfectly placed corner kick that allowed Brian Willcox to get Hickman on the scoreboard in the third minute of the game. It was sweet redemption after being at the center of a penalty-kick collapse against Camdenton.

“I tried to fly” the corner kick “over the PK spot, far enough out where the goalie couldn’t get it,” Plakorus said. “Brian was there to head it in. It was a big confidence boost after missing that penalty kick.”

The Kewpies scored just once more in the first half, on forward Connor Hollrah’s goal, but they quarantined the action to the area in and around the Tigers’ box. There was no urgency to score, because Smith-Cotton had no chance of clearing the ball past midfield.

“I think Coach said we had 15 opportunities to score in the first half,” Plakorus said. “We just outworked them.”

It was only a matter of time before Hickman’s shots started finding the back of the net, and Colin Janicek scored twice in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Less tenacious pressure let the Tigers attack every once in a while, which, by opening up the field, created easier opportunities for the Kewpies.

“I feel we got a little lackadaisical in the second half at times,” Taylor said. “Even though the scoreboard showed differently, we played better in the first half.”

Plakorus, who scored the fifth goal in the 51st minute, felt he and his teammates had a better grasp of how to attack the Tigers after a 2-0 win over them earlier in the season.

“We knew we need to keep the ball, switch across the field and attack along the sides,” he said.

With the victory, Hickman (10-8-2) advanced to the semifinals Tuesday against top-seeded Rock Bridge. Despite all the controversy surrounding former Coach Larry Thornburg’s resignation in the middle of the season, the Kewpies have prevailed and are playing exactly how they want to be as the postseason begins.

“We’ve come together as a unit and are starting to play good soccer,” Taylor said. “We are moving the ball a lot better than previously. This is the time when we wanted to play our best soccer, and I feel like today was one of the best games we’ve played this year.”

Hickman will need to sustain its momentum against the Bruins, who beat them twice this season. More important, according to Taylor, is keeping their heads in the game. It is safe to say that Tuesday night Wilson will not be day-dreaming about Halloween.

“We need to stay disciplined,” Taylor said. “Whenever we allow goals, it is due to a mental mistake.”

This article was published on page B7 of the Sunday, November 1, 2009 edition of The Columbia Daily Tribune. Click here to Subscribe.

Cruel Twist of Fate for Hickman

2009-10-30T09:51:00.004-05:00

Cruel twist of fate for Hickman
Kewps miss OT chances, tumble in penalty kicks.
By Matt Harris

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Photo by Don Shrubshell

Camdenton’s Jeron Sinclair scored in the 52nd minute in a game against Hickman Tuesday night. Rayder Bennett pictured. The Lakers went on to win the game 2-1 (3-1 penalty kicks). Photo Caption..

George Plakorus gazed as his penalty kick swung wide of the right post, turned on his heel and trudged towards his teammates at midfield.

The miss marked the bottom of a slow descent for the Hickman senior forward in a 2-1 loss to Camdenton after a 3-1 result on penalty kicks.

Three minutes earlier, Plakorus stutter-stepped and buried a shot that appeared to even the score at 2 on penalty kicks after the teams grappled to a 1-1 draw through two overtimes.

The stutter-step was the problem.

Under state rules, a player that stops his forward movement before striking a kick must attempt it again. After a brief conference, officials ruled that Plakorus halted and made him take another try.

“Apparently, you can’t interrupt your motion,” he said. “I didn’t stop. I kept moving forward. It’s a legal kick.”

Two kicks later, senior Matt Baker clanked a shot off the cross bar, giving the Lakers the win.

The gaffe was a cruel turn for Plakorus, who tied the game on his first goal of the season in the 76th minute of regulation after collecting a punt by Kewpies goalie Chuck Wilson, dribbling to his left and booting a low line drive past a splaying Ryan Moriearty from 18 yards out.

“It’s kind of late,” Plakorus said of the goal, “but better late than never, right?”

Hickman Coach Adam Taylor agreed with the bittersweet assessment.

“That was a great lift for us,” he said. “It was something the seniors needed for senior night. I didn’t want them to lose. Unfortunately, that’s what happened.”

Aside from Plakorus’ strike, Hickman (9-8-2) struggled to capitalize on its scoring chances against a team whose defensive tactics provided Taylor’s club with ample opportunities.

On two occasions, forward Connor Hollrah had the makings of an easy tally but couldn’t close the account.

His best chance came in the 35th minute, when Baker found room behind the Lakers’ pressing backs and swerved a cross onto Hollrah’s foot 7 yards in front of the net. The junior put too much behind his attempt and sent it sailing over the top of the net.

“They were leaving our wings,” Taylor said of his team’s offensive woes. “Their backs were pushing up too far, and we weren’t taking advantage of that. We’ve got to do better at that. It’s going to be tough to win games 1-0 at this level.”

Hickman’s backline faced a strain of its own: an opportunistic Lakers’ counterattack that lobbed in long balls and sent Matt Norris and Jeron Sinclair rushing forward to lead the onslaught.

“Their game plan was just kick and run,” Wilson said. “It’s hard to get the ball when they’re just coming over your head. We were trying to keep it in front of us as much as we could.”

Problems clearing the ball from the penalty area and leaving ample space between the midfield and backline finally converged in the 52nd minute.

Wilson bobbled a pass back from defender Logan Forsythe at the top of the penalty box after a long boot from Camdenton. As Wilson tried to snare the ball, Norris swooped in, took it off Wilson’s hands and slipped it into the back of the net to put Camdenton ahead 1-0.

“I had my hand on the ball,” Wilson said,” and they just kicked it out of my hand. I thought it should have been a call.”

After Plakorus knotted the score, Hickman seized control of the action in extra time, choking up the midfield with bodies and sending charge after charge towards the Lakers’ net.

Baker bulled his way into the box, getting off a shot that was turned aside in the 86th minute and set up a corner kick. On the corner, a rebound found its way onto Plakorus’ foot only to be sent wide right.

While his team filed off the pitch, Taylor said the loss served as an example of what can happen if a team doesn’t seize on the good fortune it creates.

“That’s the kind of team that’s going to beat you on the counterattack, and that’s exactly what happened,” he said. “You can never trust the PK system, so you got to beat a team like that in regulation.”

This article was published on page B3 of the Wednesday, October 28, 2009 edition of The Columbia Daily Tribune. Click here to Subscribe.

Games in Rolla 10-23/10-24 (Thomas Whitefield games)

2009-10-20T11:22:00.002-05:00

Both games at Bray Sports Complex-Rolla High School
From I-44 take the Hwy 63 exit and go south on Hwy 63. Turn left on 10th St. (UMR's Gale Bullman is located at this intersection). Follow 10th Street until you see the high school. Bray Sports Complex is located at the high school.
If you are coming in from South Hwy 63, stay on Hwy 63 until you get to 10th St. Turn right on 10th St. and follow this to the high school. Bray Sports Complex is located at the high school.

Complete list of games:

Friday: Rolla vs. William Chrisman 5:00 p.m.
Waynesville vs. Hickman 6:45 p.m.
Saturday: Waynesville vs. William Chrisman 9:00 a.m.
Rolla vs. Hickman 10:45 a.m.

Kewps settle in after turmoil

2009-10-19T13:25:00.001-05:00

Kewps settle in after turmoil
Midseason change doesn’t faze Hickman.

By Steve Walentik

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Photo by Parker Eshelman :
Adam Taylor took over as Hickman’s soccer coach after Larry Thornburg resigned in the middle of the season.

It’s been two weeks since the Hickman boys soccer season was thrown into upheaval by Coach Larry Thornburg’s resignation in the wake of a Sept. 30 loss to crosstown rival Rock Bridge.

But his departure really hasn’t been the disturbance that it could have been.

The Kewpies dropped their first game without Thornburg on the bench but have won three of four since Adam Taylor took over as the interim coach. Their latest victory was a 2-0 shutout of Glendale yesterday at LeMone Field.

“It was a change, that’s for sure, but I think we’ve adapted pretty well,” senior forward Taylor Cox said. “It could have caused a lot of distractions, but we didn’t let it get to us that much, which is good.”

Some players said the change was welcome after Hickman’s 4-4-2 start. Thornburg’s system put an emphasis on getting the ball to the wings and using crossing passes to generate scoring opportunities. The Kewpies scored fewer than two goals in six of their first 10 games, including the 2-1 defeat to the Bruins.

“I think all the guys were looking for something, to make some changes at that point,” senior midfielder Matt Baker said. “But we were all unsure of what we were going to do with the whole coaching thing. Now that we’ve had a few weeks, things have kind of settled down.”

The Hickman players have started to adjust to Taylor, who coached many of them on the junior varsity team over the past three seasons.

“He gives us more positive feedback and tries not to put us down but helps us along the way,” senior forward George Plakorus said. “He lets us learn from our mistakes, and we feel more free.”

Taylor has tinkered with Hickman’s plan of attack, putting another forward on the field in an effort to generate more scoring chances.

“The first couple games I watched, I just didn’t feel like we were going to the goal enough and wanted to try to get some more shots on goal,” Taylor said.

It hasn’t paid immediate dividends. The Kewpies only managed one goal in Friday night’s loss to visiting Kickapoo.

But Hickman fared better in yesterday’s game against Glendale, dominating the possession and putting steady pressure on its opponent. The Kewpies found the net in the 37th minute when sophomore Alex Holliday finished off a cross from Plakorus at the far post, and they took a 1-0 lead into intermission.

The defense and goalkeeper Chuck Wilson turned back every Falcons scoring chance. Hickman added an insurance goal with about eight minutes remaining when Colin Janicek fired the ball into the penalty area, Glendale goalie Jordan Pitts misplayed it and it came to Baker, who drove it into the net.

“We have twice as many shots as we did when we had Coach Thornburg, so we’re just going to get more chances,” Cox said. “We’re just not quite finishing right now.”

The Kewpies have two weeks to work on that before opening district play Nov. 2. They’ve already dropped games against district foes Jefferson City and Rock Bridge, but both defeats came by one goal.

“Our No. 1 goal is to be ready when playoffs start,” Taylor said, “so these kind of games are good work and good tests for us.”

Reach Steve Walentik at 573-815-1788 or e-mail swalentik@columbiatribune.com.

This article was published on page B7 of the Sunday, October 18, 2009 edition of The Columbia Daily Tribune. Click here to Subscribe.

Gateway City Soccer Classic Bracket/Results

2009-10-05T07:39:00.006-05:00

After losing its first round game to CBC JV, Hickman came back strong to win its next two games in the Soccer Master bracket of the Gateway City Soccer Classic. Next game is Oct 16th 5pm at home against Kickapoo. See full results at:

http://www.smillerdesign.com/clients/forms/Gateway%20Soccer%20Master%20Bracket.xls

Inmates running asylum?

2009-10-04T10:08:00.000-05:00

By Rus Baer
Sunday, October 4, 2009

There was one varsity player on the Hickman boys soccer team who did not play in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss at Rock Bridge.

That one player not playing led to Larry Thornburg resigning his position as the Kewpies head coach in the middle of his third season.

After a meeting with Hickman Athletic Director Doug Mirts on Friday morning, Thornburg stepped down as the Kewpies coach, effective immediately.

During a telephone interview yesterday morning, Thornburg explained in detail his abrupt resignation.

“This is what led to the resignation,” Thornburg said. “Following the Rock Bridge game on Wednesday night, I got an e-mail from the athletic director. There was one player that I had not played at all in the Rock Bridge game, and Doug Mirts in his e-mail said that the parents of that player wanted to meet with me Friday morning at 8 o’clock in his office.”

Thornburg responded that he would be unable to attend the meeting at 8, but he relayed to Mirts the specific reasons for why that player did not play against the Bruins.

Thornburg said that none of the reasons were related to discipline but were based entirely on the player’s performance and ability.

“I had my good reasons as a coach why that player didn’t get any playing time,” Thornburg said. “His parents were not happy with my answer, I guess.

“Rock Bridge has a very skilled, very athletic team, and I just felt like I had some players I needed to have in there if we were going to have the best chance to win.”

Mirts still wanted to meet with Thornburg before the team departed for a tournament in Collinsville, Ill., at noon on Friday. Later that morning, Thornburg met with Mirts.

“At that time, he told me that the parents were very unhappy,” Thornburg said. “The parents were going to start going over his head with their complaints, and it was going to get ugly if we didn’t handle the situation right now.”

Thornburg said he was informed by Mirts that more than 50 percent of the varsity parents had complained to him about the coaching their sons were receiving.

“They did not like my coaching style,” Thornburg said, before relaying some of the reasons given. “Their player was afraid to play in a game because he might make a mistake. Their player did not understand what I was asking him to do in practice or games.

“Doug said that because of the majority no-confidence vote, he wanted me to resign.”

Faced with the news that a majority of the parents and players did not want him as Hickman’s coach, Thornburg decided to step down immediately.

“I agreed, that with more than 50 percent of the parents of that attitude, I said, ‘I resign.’ ”
Mirts did not want to get into specifics about the meeting but said he did not ask Thornburg to resign.

“We discussed that aspect,” Mirts said. “At some point, I asked, ‘Where are we going with this?’ Those were all parts of the discussion. He decided to resign. That was where things ended up. That was his feeling on that.”

Thornburg also has some feelings on the coaching climate in Columbia. A soccer coach for more than 30 years at varying levels, Thornburg believes parental involvement has become a growing problem at the high school level.

“It’s a parent problem, in my opinion, because of the nature of soccer in Columbia,” Thornburg said. “With all the competitive teams that play in Central Missouri, starting young the kids are told to kick the ball and do this and score goals. When you get them in high school, they’ve been doing that for seven, eight, nine years, and you ask them to do something different, and there’s a lot of resistance. And if anybody sits on the bench, they’re not used to sitting on the bench, and the parents are going to raise Cain.

“That’s my interpretation of what’s gone on for the last three years I’ve been at Hickman.”
It’s an interpretation that continues to build credence. Hickman is still looking to replace baseball Coach Bobby Chick, who resigned in August after his first season as head coach, and last spring Rock Bridge girls soccer Coach Kelly Gates resigned five games into the season.

Hickman assistants Adam Taylor and Conrad Hake coached the Kewpies to the consolation championship this weekend at the Gateway City Soccer Classic.

POLLING PLACES: A few more coaching changes might be in order, because neither Columbia soccer team has cracked the state rankings put together by the coaches association.

The same four area teams continued to receive votes in the rankings that were released Friday, with Jefferson City holding the seventh spot in Class 3, Helias No. 6 in Class 2 and Southern Boone No. 10 in Class 1.

Moberly did not crack the top 10 in Class 2 but is receiving votes.

Reach Rus Baer at 573-815-1787 or e-mail rbaer@columbiatribune.com.
This article was published on page B3 of the Sunday, October 4, 2009 edition of The Columbia Daily Tribune. Click here to Subscribe.

Hickman boys soccer coach resigns

2009-10-02T20:24:00.000-05:00

By Rus Baer
Posted October 2, 2009 at 7:11 p.m.

Two days after coaching the Hickman boys soccer team to a 2-1 loss at Rock Bridge on Wednesday, Larry Thornburg resigned his position effective immediately.

Two Columbia Public School officials confirmed the resignation Friday.

In Thornburg’s third season, the Kewpies were 4-4-2 entering a tournament tonight in Collinsville, Ill. Hickman assistant Adam Taylor was expected to fill the head coaching position on an interim basis.

Thornburg was hired as Hickman's third boys soccer coach following the 2006 season. The Kewpies went 10-7-1 in 2007 and 9-8-1 last year before falling in the Class 3 District 9 title game to Jefferson City.

Thornburg is the second Hickman coach to resign this school year. Baseball Coach Bobby Chick resigned in August following his first season in charge. Hickman has yet to fill that opening.

Thornburg is also the second high school soccer coach in Columbia to resign this year in the middle of a season. Rock Bridge girls soccer Coach Kelly Gates resigned five games into the season last spring. Marc VanDover replaced Gates and led the Bruins to a district title.

One hot minute

2009-10-02T20:14:00.006-05:00

Game turns on Bruins goal, save of Hickman penalty kick in 73rd.

Photo by Nick King
Hickman’s Logan Forsythe slides under Rock Bridge’s Rhys McCracken as Forsythe’s teammate James Moesel trails in the second half last night. Rock Bridge’s 2-1 win put the Bruins (6-5) above .500 for the first time this season. Hickman fell to 4-4-1.

By David Briggs
Thursday, October 1, 2009

Rock Bridge’s boys soccer team is not short on experience. The Bruins start eight seniors while another four provide depth to a squad expected to contend for the Class 3 District 9 title.

Photo by Nick King
Rock Bridge goalie Brady Wulff gives the bench a thumbs-up after blocking a Hickman penalty shot in the second half. The save came moments after Rock Bridge took the lead in the 73rd minute. Rock Bridge Coach Kyle Austin called it the season’s “signature save.”

Photo by Nick King
Rock Bridge’s Danny Baird, center, celebrates his game-winning goal with teammate Rhys Mc- Cracken in the Bruins’ 2-1 victory. The 73rd-minute goal was the first of junior Baird’s varsity career.
BOYS SOCCER AT SELLS FIELD
Last night
Rock Bridge 2, Hickman 1
Just don’t forget about the underclassmen.

Last night, it was a pair of varsity greenhorns delivering the biggest plays in Rock Bridge’s 2-1 victory over Hickman at Sells Field.

Junior Danny Baird, a lifelong midfielder turned defender this season, scored his first career goal to put the Bruins ahead in the 73rd minute before junior goalie Brady Wulff saved the game moments later. After a foul high in the box set up a Kewpies penalty kick, the first-year goalie dove left and made what Coach Kyle Austin called the season’s “signature save.”

Perfect timing, too. The clutch displays came not only in the crosstown clash but helped push the Bruins (6-5) above .500 for the first time this season.

“Just a great win,” Wulff said. “It’s a big district game, so it gets us off to a good start.”

The night ultimately pivoted on that single one-minute sequence in the final minutes.

As the 73rd minute came, neither side had wrested away any lasting advantage.

Senior Josh Litofsky keyed a strong Rock Bridge start — the Bruins had five of their 12 shots in the opening 10 minutes — with a score off a corner kick in the fourth minute. But the pace had long been tempered by the time Hickman’s Colin Janicek answered early in the second half.
The game winning play, too, began innocuously enough with a throw in on a set Rock Bridge often practiced but rarely mastered.

“Maybe one in 100 times it works perfectly,” Austin said.

Senior Travis Salvo launched the ball from near the right corner to forward Josh Hulen atop the box opposite the near post. Normally, the ball is cleared away in traffic. But this time, Hulen was able to post up and bump a pass to Baird a few yards in front of the goal.

Baird took the bouncing ball from the air, aimed straight and hoped he’d kept it low enough.
He did … barely. The ball ricocheted down and past the goal line.

Rock Bridge’s bench erupted while Baird sprinted in joy to the far 18-yard box.

“It was probably the most pumped I’ve ever been in my life,” said Baird, who was moved to Rock Bridge’s defense before his first full varsity year. “Probably the biggest goal I’ve ever scored.”

“To step up and have a goal like that against your district rival and to have that be your first goal on varsity?” Austin said. “I can’t even imagine what’s going through his head.”

Yet the celebration lasted less than a minute as a foul sent junior midfielder Matt Baker in for a penalty kick.

On the sideline, Austin waved frantically trying to get Wulff’s attention. He almost always left decisions on penalty kicks up to his goalies, and said he would feel particularly comfortable doing so with Wulff.

“He’s just a great goalkeeper,” Austin said. “He’s got great natural instincts and great reaction time.”

But Austin remembered Baker had gone to the right during Hickman’s shootout win over Rock Bridge last season. The Bruins’ second-year coach had a feeling he would do so again.

“I was yelling frantically trying to get his attention,” Austin said. “I’m waving trying to point which direction he’s going. To his credit, he didn’t tip it if he saw me.”

“I saw him,” Wulff said.

The scouting report held true. Baker lined the ball to the low right corner, where the diving Wulff lay in wait. The junior’s third tough save of the night secured Rock Bridge’s first victory over Hickman since October 2007.

Hickman, meanwhile, fell to 4-4-1. Coach Larry Thornburg said he was proud of his team’s effort.

“We play possession soccer and we’ve been working on that all year,” Thornburg said. “This was the best game we’ve had yet. Rock Bridge has a heck of a team of athletes and it’s extremely hard to possess the ball on guys that are quick and strong, so I was really happy with the way my guys possessed the ball.”

Reach David Briggs at dbriggs@columbiatribune.com.

Goalkeeper's save lifts Rock Bridge soccer team

2009-10-01T09:27:00.002-05:00

Rock Bridge goalkeeper Brady Wulff has earned the respect of his coach Kyle Austin. “He has these natural instincts, and his reaction time is just unbelievable. He’s one of the best keepers I’ve ever seen," Austin said. ¦ CHELSEA SEKTNAN/Missourian BY Kevin Deane

COLUMBIA — A year ago, Brady Wulff had to watch his Rock Bridge soccer team lose to Hickman in a penalty shootout from the stands while he rehabbed a broken leg. He made sure that didn't happen again this year.

Wulff, the junior goalkeeper for the Bruins, left his feet and dove to his right to block a penalty kick from Hickman junior Matt Baker with six minutes to play, preserving a 2-1 Rock Bridge victory– the first regular season victory against the Kewpies in two years.

After the final whistle blew at Rock Bridge's field, Wulff was engulfed in a sea of gold jerseys at midfield. Not a single member of the Bruins' team got out of the celebratory huddle without jumping on Wulff or giving him several slaps on the back, coaches included. Wulff's smile alone seemed to light up the entire stadium.

“It is just a testament to all that he (Wulff) has been through,” Rock Bridge coach Kyle Austin said. “This is his first season back. That was a debilitating leg injury he had to come back from. He’s worked his butt off, and I’m really proud of him.”

Austin makes the team practice penalty kicks every other day to prepare for situations like these, but he thinks that the save still speaks to Wulff’s abilities as a goalkeeper.

“He is a great goalkeeper,” Austin said. “He has these natural instincts, and his reaction time is just unbelievable. He’s one of the best keepers I’ve ever seen.”

Nobody was more confident than Austin about Wulff's chances of blocking the penalty kick. Austin saw Baker go to the right to score in the shootout in last year’s defeat, and had seen him send penalty kicks to the right numerous other times. So before the kick, Austin tried to flag down Wulff to let him know. He didn’t know if Wulff caught on until he blocked it.

“To his credit, he didn’t tip that he saw me,” Austin said. “We teach him, ‘be instinctive, read the PK taker and make your best guess on where you think the ball is going to go.’ He came up big.”

Wulff commands confidence from his coaches, his teammates and even the opposing players. Junior Andy Atkins is Hickman’s leading scorer with five goals and plays on the same Under-17 club team, Pride, with Wulff.

“It hurts,” Atkins said after the game, “But it was just a great play. It was a moment of brilliance by a great keeper. Without him in the game, it’s a different result tonight.”

Wulff didn’t even have to touch the ball until the 37th minute, thanks to a defense that stepped up and got the ball out, something that both Austin and Wulff say the team has been working on.

“We pretty much know we’ve given up some pretty crappy goals so far this season,” Wulff said. “So right now we’ve just really been working on our total defense.”

The game was a physical one that saw both a Rock Bridge and a Hickman player get sent off the field after being booked with a yellow card. Hickman coach Larry Thornburg says that is just a part of playing in the Rock Bridge/Hickman rivalry. He also says part of it is that players are all familiar with each other from club teams, like Wulff and Atkins, or just from playing against one another for years.

Junior Danny Baird also had a big night, scoring the go-ahead goal with 10 minutes left. He took a ball tossed from Travis Salbo and put it off the crossbar past Kewpies’ goalkeeper Chuck Wilson for his first goal of the season.

Rock Bridge and Hickman could play each other again in the district tournament, something both the players and coaches said they will be looking forward to.

“It was a very even-matched game,” Thornburg said. “I know what we’re going to work on, I know what happened. I couldn’t prevent it, but I know what happened.”

Hickman strikes quickly in return-A little time away does Kewps good

2009-09-28T09:30:00.003-05:00

By Matt Harris

BOYS SOCCER LAST NIGHT
Hickman 2, Smith-Cotton 0

Friday, September 25, 2009

After a 12-day layoff from the pitch, the Hickman boys soccer team wasted little time tallying the first goal in its home opener last night against Smith-Cotton.

Hickman at Rock Bridge, 6:30 p.m.
Senior midfielder Matt Baker drove home a rebound into the lower left corner of the net after he was left unmarked on the right side and a rebound from a save by Tigers goalie Charlie Wheeler landed in front of him. The goal, which came in the fifth minute, was enough to stake the Kewpies to a lead that would never face a serious challenge in the 2-0 win at LeMone Field.

The victory was a nice way to return to play after a brutal stretch to open the season that saw the Kewpies (4-3-1) play seven games in nine days and prevented the team from getting in dedicated time to work out kinks.

Hickman Coach Larry Thornberg said his team had been playing on adrenaline out the gate, but issues with marking opposing players and maintaining possession for crisp passing arose and needed to be corrected.

Despite striking first, the Kewpies were still relying too much on the long ball early on.

“The first part of the game, we were playing the ball forward too fast,” Thornberg said. “It worked half the time, and we got a goal of it. So I can’t complain about it.”

Smith-Cotton struggled throughout to mount an attack from its midfield, with Hickman’s back line of seniors Logan Forsythe and Koby Meyer closing space and disrupting short passes.

The Tigers best chance to even the score came in the 29th minute when Forsythe committed a foul challenging for a ball against Smith-Cotton’s Alex Lang, setting up a free kick from 20 yards out.

Cody Meyer couldn’t put the ball away, sending his curving blast just past the left post.

The conditions were far from favorable for Hickman’s first home match, with a heavy downpour water logging the field in the first half before settling into a steady mist the rest of the way.

The wet weather didn’t wreak havoc for Hickman, who controlled the ebb and flow the rest of the way with long runs down the wings only to find forwards delayed in getting forward to capitalize on strong crosses through the box.

One of those crosses, a swerving ball off the foot of Taylor Cox, did find a striker in the form of Andy Atkins, who buried the ball in the back of the net in the 52nd minute to settle the final margin.

And while Hickman showed itself well before its home fans, Thornberg said the team still needs work on the same fundamentals it was addressing entering the game.

“I was pleased with how we played,” Thornberg said. “But we’ll keep on working short passes and dribbling the ball up the field.”

This article was published on page B3 of the Friday, September 25, 2009 edition of The Columbia Daily Tribune. Click here to Subscribe.

First goal by Matt Baker assisted by Connor Hollrah.
Second goal by Andy Atkins assisted by Taylor Cox.

Updated Gateway City Soccer Classic

2009-09-28T08:48:00.003-05:00

COLLINSVILLE, ILLINOIS

Fri. 3:00 pm CBC "B" at CBC High School.

Sat. 9:45 am Morton High, IL or Springfield Catholic, MO. Metro Field 14 or 18

Final game at 3:30 pm or 5:15pm See bracket info:

Click Here To View the Bracket

Championship game is at SIU-Edwardsville at 3:30 pm.
Consolation game is at Metro Field 15 3:45 pm.
3rd place game is at Metro Field 17 5:15pm.

Hickman soccer team falls to Jefferson City

2009-09-11T14:55:00.004-05:00

Jefferson City's Adam Luektemeyer tries to drive the ball past Hickman's Connor Hollrah during the first half of a game on Tuesday at the Soccer Park in Jefferson City. The Jays defeated the Kewpies 1-0, scoring a goal with less than three minutes left in the game. ¦ Chris Dunn

BY Missourian staff

The Hickman boys soccer team lost 1-0 to host Jefferson City on Tuesday.

The only goal of the game slipped past Kewpies goalie Chuck Wilson with 2:50 left in the second half off the foot of Jays senior Alec Nagel.

Hickman won the Quincy Tournament over the weekend and tried to bring that momentum into its game against Jefferson City, but the Jays consistently wore down Hickman’s defense in the second half.

Hickman (2-1-1) plays Thursday at Raymore Peculiar.

Extra effort keeps Raiders soccer unbeaten

2009-09-11T12:23:00.008-05:00

Published: 9/5/2009 Updated: 9/9/2009
By MATT SCHUCKMAN
Herald-Whig Sports Writer

Greg Reis knows not a lot of people thought the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team would still be unbeaten at this point in the season, especially with the schedule the Raiders play.

"I think they would have said you're crazy," the QND coach said.

There's nothing absurd, though, about how hard-nosed the Raiders have been.

QND rebounded from a one-goal deficit to tie Maine South 1-1 Saturday morning before playing Columbia (Mo.) Hickman to a scoreless tie in the afternoon during the 20th annual QND Tournament at the Paul Dennis Soccer Complex.

Hickman finished 2-0-1 to earn the tourney title, while QND went 1-0-2 to improve to 3-0-3 overall.

"We were a little sluggish at the start, but I thought we played well overall," senior sweeper Matt Witte said.

It helped to have some resiliency.

Maine South, which beat QND in each of its last three tournament appearances, led 1-0 before the Raiders' Ryan Riggs won a ball in the box off a throw-in and tucked the game-tying goal away in the second half.

"We never give up," QND defender Jon Grawe said. "We just play tough."

It's becoming the team's identity.

"It's nice for the guys to have to battle back," Reis said. "The didn't fold in. Despite being tired, they kept fighting and kept fighting and we were rewarded.

It set up a championship showdown with Hickman, which had beaten Maine South 2-0 Friday night and Macomb 5-0 Saturday morning to assure itself of no worse than a second-place finish.
The Kewpies nearly walked away with three victories, coming close to scoring three separate times in the final 15 minutes.

In the 65th minute, Hickman's Taylor Cox redirected a cross with his head, forcing QND keeper Brian Sakulenzki to make a diving save. In the 76th minute, a restart from the left wing was knocked to the top of the penalty area where the Kewpies' Cody Gordon blistered a shot that Sakulenzki saved.

Finally, with less than 40 seconds to play, Hickman's Colin Janicek slipped through the defense and had a one-on-one with Sakulenzki. However, his quick shot carried over the crossbar.
"We got a little lucky a couple of times," Reis said. "If you're going to go through a season and be successful, you're going to need some luck."

And a bench, too.

With senior midfielder Jake Darnell nursing an injury, Reis used his entire bench during the tournament and discovered several underclassmen -- sophomores Andrew Allen and Denver Bradley and freshman Nathan Dreyer for example -- can provide quality minutes.

"They came in and stepped up," Reis said. "We didn't see a dropoff in the level of play. So we got to experiment a little bit, put some guys in different places. What we saw was encouraging."
So was the effort of the defense.

Sakulenzki made seven saves overall, six in the second half, as Hickman increased its pressure the final 40 minutes. The Kewpies outshot the Raiders 14-5, attempting 12 in the second half.

"They are very strong going forward, both of them," Reis said of Hickman and Maine South. "So I think our boys have played well."

-- mschuckman@whig.com/221-3366

Hickman Takes First Place at Quincy Notre Dame Tournament

2009-09-05T22:09:00.009-05:00

Quincy ND Tournament: Hickman went 2-0-1 without allowing a goal over the weekend against teams from Illinois to win the event in Quincy, Ill.

The Kewpies beat Maine South 2-0 on Friday. Taylor Cox scored off an assist from Colin Janicek, and Andy Atkins added an unassisted goal. Chuck Wilson posted a shutout in goal.

Hickman beat Macomb 5-0 on Saturday. Atkins and Connor Hollrah scored two goals each, and Brian Willcox added a goal. Wilson posted the shutout.

Later Saturday, Hickman played Quincy Notre Dame to a scoreless tie, with Wilson again getting the shutout in goal.

Waynesville 11-14-09 1pm

2009-08-31T10:22:00.005-05:00

Take 63 South Towards Jeff City

Take US-54 W thru Osage Beach to Camdenton
Take MO Hwy 5 South to Lebanon , MO
Continue on MO Hwy 5 South to I-44 E towards Waynesville, MO
Take Exit 156, towardWAYNESVILLE/FORT LEONARD WOOD.
Turn LEFT onto HIGHWAY H/I-44-BL/MO-H. Continue to follow I-44-BL.
Turn RIGHT onto MO-17/W I-44-BL.
1001 HISTORIC 66 W. (This is the address to Waynesville Middle School, where we play)

Gateway City Soccer Classic Oct 2-3, 2009

2009-08-18T13:53:00.011-05:00

COLLINSVILLE, ILLINOIS

Fri. 3:00 pm CBC JV at CBC High School.

Sat. 9:45 am Morton High, IL or Springfield Catholic, MO. Metro Field 14 or 18

Final game at 3:30 pm or 3:45 pm See bracket info:

Click Here To View the Bracket

Championship game is at SIU-Edwardsville at 3:30 pm.
Consolation game is at Metro Field 15 3:45 pm.

Tryouts and practice info

2009-07-31T08:57:00.000-05:00

All, last reminder before the tryouts start on Aug 10

1. Tryouts will be Aug 10-14; every morning from 8-10 am and Mon-Thurs nights from 5-7 pm. Everyone must bring his own WATER.

2. All players MUST have a physical form from a doctor to participate and I will collect them on the first morning. I already have the forms for the players that attended the camp. Any doubts that I have yours then send me an email.

3. The returning varsity and seniors will run the mile first each morning starting at 8:00, followed by juniors, then sophomores, then freshmen. All must finish three miles in the required time during the 5 days of tryouts to be eligible to make one of the teams. Finishing the three 1-mile runs does not guarantee a place on a Hickman team. Upper classmen must finish in less than 6:30; freshmen less than 6:45. Following the runs we will practice soccer until 10:00 am. We will run on the track at HHS, so bring running shoes in addition to the soccer equipment.

4. The teams will be announced following the morning practice on Friday, Aug 14.

5. The week of Aug 17-21 all teams will practice once a day from 5:00 to 7:00 each evening. When school begins we will practice immediately after school. There will be buses to transport the freshmen to HHS each day for PRACTICE. Freshmen will have to arrange transportation on game days.

6. Mr. Mirts, our athletic director is having a parent meeting for all sports on Sunday, Aug 9, at 6:00 in the Auditorium at HHS. He will discuss academic regulations, new requirements and other items necessary to participate in sports at Hickman High School. All parents including the incoming freshmen should attend. See everyone on Aug 10!!!!Coach Thornburg

2009-Mandatory Meeting

2009-07-20T17:36:00.000-05:00

Mr. Mirts, Hickman athletic director is hosting a mandatory meeting for parents and athletes to attend on Sunday, August 9th at 6:00 p.m. in the Hickman Auditorium. Discussion will cover citizenship guidelines, eligibility requirement changes, NCAA information, travel, Booster Clubs, etc.

2008 Game Recaps

2009-05-20T08:44:00.001-05:00

2008 Varsity Game Recaps
Sept 25: v Smith-Cotton W 6-0. Goals byJervis Atagana (2), Taylor Cox (2), Mason Morawitz, and George Plakorus.
Sept 20: v Parkway Central W 4-0. Goals by Mason Morawitz (4).
Sept 20: v Parkway North W 4-1. Goals by Jervis Atagana, Taylor Cox, Matt Brumit and George Plakorus.
Sept 19: v Parkway West L 1-2. Goal by Andrew Schutte.
Sept 13: v Alta Vista KC (Rolla Tournament) W 10-0. Goals Matt Brummit, Michael Loesing (2), Taylor Cox, James Moesel, Andy Atkins, Adam Brenner, Kevin Davidson, Chris Long and Jervis Atagana.
Sept 13: v Rolla (Rolla Tournament) T 3-3. Goals Graham Lloyd and Matt Baker (2).
Sept 12: v Northeast KC (Rolla Tournament) W 9-1. Goals Mason Morawitz, Matt Brummit, Jervis Atagana, Jordan Occena, Nick Hagen, Colin Janicek, Matt Baker (2) and an own goal.
Sept 9: v Jefferson City W 1-0. Goal scored by Matt Brumit.

2008 JV Game Recaps
Sept 22: v Rockbridge T 1-1. Goal by Brian Willcox. Assist by Spencer Miller.
Sept 17: v St Paul (overtime/PKs) L.
Sept 13: v CBC L 0-2.
Sept 11: v La Monte (Smithton Tournament) W 4-0. Goals by Taylor Ray, Koby Meyer, Jeremy Landrey and Connor Hollrah. Assists by Jeremy Landrey, Taylor Ray and Koby Meyer.
Sept 9: v Holden (Smithton Tournament) W 11-1. Goals by Joe Aubuchon (3), Taylor Ray (3), Brian Willcox (2), Jeremy Landrey (1), San Kestron Mouchkouaby (1) and Christian Gibbons (1). Assists by Michael Darter, San Kestron Mouchkouaby (2), Connor Hollrah, Brian Willcox and Joe Aubuchon.

2008 C Team Game Recaps
Sept 22: v Rockbridge
Sept 12: v CBC W 3-1. Goals by James Griggs, Alex Holliday and Brad Storm.
Sept 9: v Jefferson City L 0-2

Kewps are marked men

2008-10-22T20:20:00.000-05:00

Kewps are marked men

Helias defense harasses Hickman.
By SAM MILES of the Tribune’s staff
Published Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Nick King photo
Helias’ Forrest McCurren, right, tangles with Hickman’s Kevin Davidson during the Crusaders’ 3-2 win last night on LeMone Field.

It didn’t take Hickman soccer Coach Larry Thornburg long to explain his team’s 3-2 loss against Helias last night on LeMone Field.

"The other team marked us right out of the game," Thornburg said of Helias’ ability to defend his players. "They started marking as soon as they lost the ball - they got on a white shirt."
For Thornburg, that was the game. Helias (17-1-1) was marking, his players weren’t, or at least not well enough. After the game, Thornburg said he wasn’t unhappy with a single Kewpie, and his only real complaint seemed to be directed toward an offside call against Andrew Schutte that took away a goal from teammate Matt Baker.

The goal would have given the Kewpies (7-7-1) an early lead and some much-needed momentum. Although Thornburg argued passionately with a referee, the call stood.

Four minutes later, in the game’s 29th minute, Helias took a 1-0 lead when Forrest McCurren found Brian Dermody, who sent a ball from 10 yards out past Kewpies goalkeeper Camron Hermann and into the back of the net.

The Kewpies never led in the game.

Helias Coach Chuck Register’s thoughts on the game mirrored Thornburg’s rather closely, though the significance of marking wasn’t mentioned explicitly.

"Our defense was basically the difference in the game," Register said. "We kind of kept them out away from their game.

"Basically they couldn’t do what they normally do in the middle of the field - they like to turn on the ball and make some through passes, but our defense played really well."

Despite the Crusaders’ defensive dominance, Hickman remained in the game throughout. In the 45th minute, Hickman’s Jervis Atagana tied the game at 1 when he slid in the box to knock in a rebound that Helias’ Jorden Bax couldn’t stop.

The Crusaders quickly regained their lead when Bryce Mihalevich got a rebound and drilled it past Hermann. Hickman’s Colin Janicek cut the lead to 3-2 in the 68th minute when, with Bax in his face, he sent a ball across the goal mouth and past the diving goalkeeper.

Though Hickman had one last opportunity with time running out, Bax ended that hope by making a good save on a Kewpie header. Register said he was pleased with his team’s resiliency and said their adaptation to the Hickman scheme played a big role.

"They attacked us pretty well," Register said. "I think they still had the good touches on the ball, they moved the ball very quickly and we learned how to adjust to their play."

Heading into district play this weekend, Thornburg said he had an idea of how the Kewpies could be successful.

"We’ve got to improve our marking, pure and simple," he said.

Reach Sam Miles at sports@tribmail.com.

Janicek's Goal is Golden

2008-10-05T09:22:00.000-05:00

Janicek’s goal is golden
Kewpies defeat Bruins in PKs.

By STEVE WALENTIK of the Tribune’s staff
Published Thursday, October 2, 2008

Parker Eshelman photo
Camron Hermann blocks a shot in the first half of Hickman’s 3-2 overtime win last night against Rock Bridge. Hermann also made a key stop in penalty kicks to preserve the win.

Colin Janicek laughed right along with his Hickman soccer teammates as they ribbed him last night after their thrilling victory over crosstown rival Rock Bridge.

"It’s about time you scored a goal," one of them said sarcastically to the sophomore forward as the triumphant Kewpies gathered their belongings from their bench on LeMone Field.

Janicek didn’t just score a goal. His blast into the top right corner of the net was the goal that clinched Hickman’s 3-2 - 4-2 penalty kicks - victory over the Bruins.

"It’s pretty awesome. I’m just pumped right now," said Janicek, who was swarmed by teammates almost as soon as the ball hit the net.

After playing to a 2-2 tie through two overtimes, Janicek, playing his first varsity season with only one goal to his name, said he felt a little nervous as he trotted from midfield toward the goal to take his turn facing off against Bruins goalkeeper Frank Bowman.

Already, the pressure of the shootout had gotten to players on both sides. Rock Bridge’s Rhys McCracken ripped his shot off the crossbar to give Hickman the early upper hand, 2-1. Bowman kept it that way by sprawling to his left to block Mason Morawitz’s shot, but Hickman goalkeeper Camron Hermann answered it by diving to his left to deny Adam Ross.

"Adam looked that way, and so I was just going to go that way, and then he did," said Hermann, who was facing penalty kicks for the first time this season. "I got lucky."

Sophomore Andy Atkins followed with a goal against Bowman that gave the Kewpies (7-1-1) a 3-1 lead and ensured they could not lose the shootout regardless of the outcome of Janicek’s shot. But Josh Hulen’s goal left the Bruins (3-7-1) in a position to tie if Janicek didn’t deliver.

"I haven’t made one in a really long time, so it was new," Janicek said. "My teammates, they were acting pretty cool about it. They were like, ‘Come on, Colin, you can do it.’ But I had my doubts."

Janicek’s goal was a demoralizing blow to Rock Bridge. Ross didn’t feel like talking about the loss afterward, and he wasn’t the only Bruins player looking a little shell-shocked after watching their two-goal rally spoiled.

Rock Bridge found itself in an early hole as Taylor Cox stuffed in the first goal in the 11th minute of the opening half. The ball wound up on Cox’s foot after Morawitz’s throw-in skipped off the hand of Bowman, who was trying to punch it out of the penalty area.

The Bruins were still searching for the equalizer six minutes after intermission. They worked the ball deep into Hickman territory, only to have it spit back out toward midfield. Morawitz appeared to knock it down with his hand, but there was no call, and he turned and dribbled down the open middle of the field before sending it ahead to Cox on the sideline.

Cox reached the penalty area before any Rock Bridge defender could slow him down, and he unleashed a low and hard shot at the far post. Bowman punched it wide of the goal, but there was no defender close enough to clear. It ended up on the foot of Matt Baker, who fired it into the back of the net to give the Kewpies a 2-0 lead.

Considering their struggles to score goals this season, the Bruins might easily have felt doomed by such a deficit. But they didn’t pack it in, not even after an apparent goal was waved off by an offsides call in the 23rd minute of the second half.

Travis Ward finally got Rock Bridge on the board when he muscled the ball past Hermann in the 26th minute of the second half, and it took the Bruins less than two minutes to even things up thereafter. Bryan Jones one-timed a low corner kick by Hulen through traffic and into the goal with about 13½ minutes remaining in regulation. They just couldn’t figure out a way to force in one more.

Rock Bridge Coach Kyle Austin couldn’t help but a feel a little upbeat, even after a loss.

"I loved the heart," Austin said. "They showed a ton of heart going down 2-0, and against a crosstown rival when the fans are against them at an opposing field, to be able to battle back like that, it shows how far we’ve come as a team this season, to be able to face some adversity and do that."

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Reach Steve Walentik at (573) 815-1788 or swalentik@tribmail.com.

Kewpies Blank Smith-Cotton in Boys Soccer

2008-09-29T09:16:00.000-05:00

By the Tribune’s staff
Published Friday, September 26, 2008
The Hickman boys soccer team beat Smith-Cotton 6-0 last night in Sedalia.

Jervis Atagana opened the scoring off a corner kick from Mason Morawitz and then added a goal on a penalty kick. Morawitz scored an unassisted goal. Taylor Cox scored twice off assists from George Plakorus and Jordan Occena. And Plakorus finished the scoring on a free kick.

Camron Hermann posted a shutout in goal for the Kewpies (6-1-1).

Hickman Third in Soccer Tourney

2008-09-22T22:34:00.000-05:00

Hickman third in soccer tourney

By the Tribune’s staff
Published Monday, September 22, 2008

The Hickman boys soccer team placed third in the Parkway Tournament over the weekend with a 2-1 record.

The Kewpies lost 2-1 to Parkway West. Andrew Schutte scored the goal off an assist from Matt Baker.

Hickman beat Parkway North 4-1. Jervis Atagana scored off an assist from Taylor Cox, Matt Brumit scored unassisted, Cox scored off an assist from Matt Brumit and George Plakorus scored off a Colin Janicek free kick. Chuck Wilson got the win in goal.

The Kewpies beat Parkway Central 4-0, with Mason Morawitz scoring all four goals. Baker and Cox each had assists. Camron Hermann posted a shutout in goal.

Rolla Tournament

2008-09-15T22:40:00.000-05:00

By the Tribune’s staff
Published Monday, September 15, 2008

Rolla Tournament: Hickman won the event over the weekend, beating Kansas City’s Northeast and Alta Vista and tying Rolla. Coach Larry Thornburg declined to provide the scores.

The Kewpies improved to 3-0-1, but lost senior captain Graham Lloyd for the season with a broken arm.

Team Meal: September 8th

2008-09-15T14:05:00.000-05:00

Kewpies Win Opener After Brumit’s Run

2008-09-10T17:05:00.000-05:00

By STEVE WALENTIK of the Tribune’s staff
Published Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Larry Thornburg doesn’t believe in waiting for scoring chances to materialize.

The Hickman boys soccer coach expects his players to always be looking to attack, whether they’re playing center forward or are cast in defensive roles.

"I want all of my backs to make runs," Thornburg said. "I expect all of my backs, defensive midfielders, everybody on the team has my permission to dribble forward and go to the goal."

It was that philosophy that sent defensive midfielder Matt Brumit steaming toward the east end of Hickman Field last night. He strong-armed his way through the Jefferson City defense and slipped a shot inside the far post in the seventh minute of the second half for the only goal in Hickman’s 1-0 season-opening victory.

"I saw an opportunity down the side, so I made the run," Brumit said. "I don’t remember how it happened. All I know is I got the ball on my left foot and saw the angle for the shot. I took it, and it went in."

He looked like a natural goal scorer with the way he beat Jays goalkeeper Colby Stuart. But Brumit scored only once last year and until recently had expected to open his senior season as the team’s sweeper.

"It was a great individual effort on that kid’s part," Jefferson City Coach Eddie Horn said. "I think he ran through about three tackles."

Brumit wasn’t the first Hickman player to come face-to-face with Stuart. Hickman generated scoring chances most of the night.

With a longer-than-usual wait to open the season, the Kewpies didn’t waste much time before jumping on the attack against the Jays.

Hickman (1-0) didn’t carve up Jefferson City (1-2) with precision passing. The Kewpies simply outfought the Jays for nearly every loose ball and kept it in Jefferson City territory for most of the first half.

"It was a very physical game," Horn said. "In my mind, it wasn’t so much technical ability as it was getting into somebody physically and winning the ball. That’s really not the way that we like to play."

Hickman did create a few well-engineered scoring opportunities, though.

None was better than the one set up by Matt Baker in the 12th minute of the opening half. He tracked down the ball on the right side of the penalty area and made a move toward the end line before touching it to Graham Lloyd in the middle of the goal box. But Stuart got in front of Lloyd in time to stonewall his point-blank shot and keep the game scoreless.

Stuart had to react almost as quickly to stop George Plakorus on another point-blank shot in the 28th minute. Plakorus’ chance came after a throw-in by Mason Morawitz at the far side of the field bounced over a pair of defenders and onto the foot of the junior winger.

Hickman outshot Jefferson City 4-2 in the first half but had nothing to show for it.

"I was getting a little frustrated," Brumit said. "It felt like it was right in front of the goal the entire time. We just couldn’t put it in. We were getting so close."

The Kewpies went right back on the assault after intermission, and Brumit scored to give them the lead. But their failure to add any cushion to the advantage meant they had to survive a frantic last few minutes as the Jays turned desperate trying to square the score.

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Reach Steve Walentik at (573) 815-1788 or swalentik@tribmail.com.

Week of Sept 8-13: Junior Varsity

2008-09-06T21:31:00.001-05:00

All, here are the items for the week Sept 8 to 13 (if I forgot something, send me an email!!!). Coach Thornburg

1. All team dinner on Monday night at 5:00 (right after practice). This is for all players and coaches.

2. Smithton tournament, Sept 9. Game is at 7:00 pm. Bus leaves HHS (west side by the gym) at 5:00. Game on Thursday, Sept 11: win on Tues game at 8:30 on Thurs; lose on Tues, game at 7:00 on Thurs. Friday's game depends upon the win/loss on Thurs. I will have bus times when I know the outcome of each game night.

3. Sept 13, games in St Louis. Bus leaves HHS (west side by the gym) at 6:30 am. Bring breakfast or snacks to eat on the bus.

JV: Smithton Tournament Schedule

2008-09-04T07:53:00.000-05:00

http://smithton.k12.mo.us/HighSchool%20Web/sports/Soccer/Schedule/smithonclassic.pdf

Purple & Gold: August 28th

2008-09-02T10:02:00.000-05:00

Now at Home in Goal: Camron Hermann

2008-09-01T07:36:00.000-05:00

Now at home in goal Kewpies keeper Hermann takes to new position.
By RYAN NILSSON of the Tribune’s staff
Published Sunday, August 31, 2008

One year ago, Camron Hermann was a forward on Hickman’s junior varsity boys soccer team. In fact, he has played forward for much of his life: As a seventh-grader at Christian Fellowship, he scored the game-winning goal in the Missouri Christian School Athletic Association state championship game.

However, this season, Hermann has been tabbed to replace Justin Schmidt, a Class 3 Central Region team honoree as a senior in 2007, as the Kewpies’ staring varsity goalkeeper.

"All of the training, all of the money that we have put into work for him has always been as a striker," Camron’s mom, Trina, said with a laugh.

Hermann, who transferred into the Columbia Public Schools system before his freshman year, joked with junior varsity Coach Eric Gossett last season that he could play goalkeeper. Gossett dismissed the idea at first, but when the team’s starting goalkeeper was injured before the Rock Bridge junior varsity tournament, he gave Hermann a chance.

It took some time for Hermann to adjust to his new position.

"Diving was interesting," Hermann said. "I used to play baseball when I was younger. It’s just like different diving. You have to dive on your side instead of like sliding for a base on your stomach. … Eric got mad at me last year because I kept diving on my stomach."

Hermann thought he could play in goal because as someone who also played basketball growing up, he possessed the necessary hand-eye coordination. But after years of playing soccer, his first instinct was to kick every ball that came near the goal.

Now, Hermann’s ability to play the ball with his feet is considered one of his best assets as a goalkeeper.

"He is a previous field player so he is very comfortable when our back people play the ball back to him to get out of a bind," Hickman Coach Larry Thornburg said. "He started out from the very first game in Iowa" at the Brine Summer Soccer Showcase "calling for the ball. Played the ball back to him, plays it back out and now we’re out of a bind."

Hermann proved quite adept at stopping penalty kicks as well.

In Hermann’s third career game in goal Hickman played the host Bruins in the championship game of the Rock Bridge junior varsity tournament. The game was tied after overtime and went to penalty kicks.

"He said, ‘Mom, my stomach was in knots,’ " Trina Hermann said.

Don Shrubshell photo
Hickman’s Camron Hermann, who has played forward for
much of his life, will be counted on to man the goal for the Kewpies this
season.

It was impossible to tell from the saves he made. Hermann deflected penalty kicks by Rhys McCracken and Robbie Baird - two members of the Rock Bridge varsity team this season - to seal the win for the Kewpies.

In advance of this season, Hermann honed his skills as a goalkeeper at the Saint Louis University Soccer Academy Camp with his Columbia Pride team. He also played all five games with the Kewpies at the Brine showcase.

"Our defense is pretty solid this year and so that helped a lot like making the easy transition into varsity," Hermann said of the three-day tournament.

Thornburg also is counting on Hickman’s defense to take some of the pressure off his goalkeeper.

"Last year I could afford to have a defense that was a little loose because Justin was in goal. The team was lucky. I was lucky," Thornburg said. "This year, I’m training the defense and so the goalie will be a part of the defense rather than having to cover for the defense like Justin and Thomaz" DeSouza "had to do last year."

Hermann should benefit from Thornburg’s practices this year too.

The Hickman coach has devoted 30 minutes at each practice to goalkeeper training. By comparison, Schmidt and fellow senior DeSouza spent most of their practice time a year ago completing drills designed for the field players.

"Of course you’re going to be little skeptical but I know the kind of basketball player he was," senior sweeper Matt Brumit said. "And I knew that his athleticism would help a lot and it’s showed. I have a lot of confidence in him."

Reach Ryan Nilsson at rnilsson@tribmail.com.

Purple and Gold Game: August 28 at HHS

2008-08-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Purple and Gold game is Thursday evening beginning at 6:30 at the high school field. The Varsity will play the JV two 20-minute halves with a 5 min half time. Fifteen minutes following that game the JV will play the Freshmen team two 20-minute halves with a 5 min half time. The JV will wear purple. The Varsity and the Freshmen will wear white.

Springfield: Oct 17-18 Hotel Info

2008-08-20T14:03:00.000-05:00

Parents, here is the information for the tournament.
SPRINGFIELD: Oct 17, 18. Staying at Days Inn South: 417-862-0153. The high schools are on the southeast corner of town. Here are a couple of other hotels that are not participating in the local soccer tournament:

Arbor Sweets at the Mall:417-887-8383

Candlewood Suites:
At HWY 44: 417-866-4242
At HWY 65: 417-881-8500

Econolodge:
At HWY 44: 417-869-5600
South: 417-882-2220

Coach Thornburg

Various Clips From 2007 Season

2008-08-19T20:21:00.000-05:00

Important Dates To Remember

2008-08-19T19:40:00.000-05:00

August 28-Purple & Gold Game: Turn in Parent Volunteer Form and Parent Soccer Contribution Form & Check. Bring case of gaterade/powerade for away games.

September 9: Home Game Tailgate

October 1: Home Game Tailgate

October 21: Home Game Tailgate & Senior Night: Turn in Banquet Form & Payment, Memory Book Photo & Comment Form in Folder, Senior Memory Book Photo & Comment forms in Folder and Memory Book Order Form and Payment.
JV: Two liter bottles of soda
C Team: 2 dozen cookies, cupcakes, brownies, etc.
C Team parents will host and serve
Senior player poster will be on display during game-senior families will need to make their
own posters. Save poster for soccer banquet.

October 30: All-Team/Family Pasta Party (Date might change), following practice:
What to bring:
Varsity Families: Pasta Dish (enough to feed 10-12 people)
JV Families: Salad and/or garlice bread (enough to feed 10 people)
C Team Families: Dessert and non-carbonated drinks
Paper plates, napkins, plastic ware, cups and ice will be furnished.

From Coach Thornburg

2008-08-15T10:31:00.001-05:00

See all of the players on Monday at 3:15 and all of the parents Tuesday at 6:00 in the Dinning Hall at HHS for the parent meeting.

Coach Thornburg

2008 Rosters-Varsity and JV

2008-08-15T10:19:00.000-05:00

Hickman Varsity Soccer Team, 2008

Jervis Atagana
Andy Atkins
Matt Baker
Adam Brenner
Matt Brumit
Taylor Cox
Kevin Davidson
Logan Forsythe
Nick Hagan
Camron Hermann
Colin Janicek
Ben Levin
Graham Lloyd
Michael Loesing
Chris Long
James Moesel
Mason Morawitz
Jordan Occena
George Plakorus
Andrew Schuttee

Hickman Junior Varisty Team, 2008:

Joe Aubuchon
Bo Brendel
Brad Chandler
Michael Darter
David Gardner-Dale
Christian Gibbons
Kirt Harris
Connor Hollrah
Jeremy Landrey
Koby Meyer
Spencer Miller
San Kestron Mouckouaby
Eric Pekkala
Thomas Pekkala
Taylor Ray
Jared Tonyan
Brian Willcox
Chuck Wilson

2008 C-Team Roster

2008-08-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

Jeremy Delissio
Cody Gordon
James Griggs
Connor Harris
Colton Hermann
Alex Holliday
Jacob Keener
Adam Kopriva
Kellin Loch
Alex McDonald
Grahm Meyer
Spencer Mills
Thomas Nabelek
Cody Rausch
Jordan See
Caleb St Omer
Brad Storm
Nathan Wikle

Hickman Parent Information Meeting

2008-08-13T11:20:00.000-05:00

There will be a Hickman soccer informational meeting next Tuesday, August 19, at 6pm in the Hickman Commons. The meeting should last about an hour. We will collect everyone’s contact information and we will be giving you lots of information about upcoming dates and volunteer opportunities. In addition, Embroider It will be at the meeting to show you some of the Hickman soccer sportswear that is available to order. Please put this meeting on your calendar and plan to attend.

Coaches, I do not yet have email addresses for the incoming freshmen players. Please let the players know of the upcoming meeting, so that they will inform their parents. Thank you!

If you have any questions, please feel free to call me (874-8587) or email. Looking forward to seeing you all next Tuesday and to a great Hickman soccer season!
Thanks - Jill Cox

Week of August 10th-From Coach Thornburg

2008-08-07T11:23:00.000-05:00

Parents and players:

Four items:

1. Meeting for parents of Fr, Soph and Jr with the athletic director on Sunday, Aug 10 at 5:00 in the auditorium at HHS regarding the change in academic requirement for athletic eligibility beginning in 2009.

2. Practice next week, Monday through Friday. All practices at HHS. All will practice from 8:00 to 10:00 in the am and 6:00 to 8:00 in the pm. Everyone needs track shoes for the morning run on the track at HHS. After the run we will change to soccer shoes.

3. In order to be eligible for one of the HHS soccer teams each player must complete the mile run three times during the first five mornings of practice. Freshman less than 6:45, Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors less than 6:30. Seniors will run first beginning at 8:00.

4. HEAT. Everyone should bring water to practice. Do not show up with an 8 oz bottle of water. It will be hot. Bring a thermos with a half gallon of water or more.

See everyone on Monday,
Coach Thornburg

Jon Strodtman Memorial Senior All-Star Soccer Game

2008-06-05T19:23:00.000-05:00

Brought to you by Kilgore's Medical Pharmacy and SoccerPro

Graduating Seniors from Central Missouri will be selected to play in the first annual games. Forty men, in two teams of twenty and likewise for the women will play a ninety minute game in front of family, friends, and spectators. There will be a meal for the players, practice time, and certificates/awards for the players. The game will be Friday, June 13, 2008. and will be played at Columbia Soccer Club's Pride Park. Women's game is at 6pm and the men's at 8pm.

7 v 7 Teams

2008-05-30T20:13:00.000-05:00

7 v 7 Summer League will be on Tuesdays, June 10, 17, 24, July 1 and 8 at 6:00 pm and 7:15 pm.

Team 1:
Mason Morawitz
Graham Lloyd
Michael Loesing
Matt Brumit
Camron Hermann (GK)
Ben Levin
Kirt Harris
Adam Brenner
Erik Pekkala
Connor Hollrah

Team 2:
Jordan Occena
Andrew Schutte
Andrew Fruits (GK)
Chris Long
Koby Meyer
Taylor Cox
Jared Tonyan
Brian Willcox
Colin Janicek
Kevin Almora

Team 3:
Jervis Atagana
Perry Dalton
Kevin Davidson
Ming heng
James Mosesel
George Plakorus
Matt Baker
Andy Atkins
Brad Chandler
Thom Fritz (GK)

Team 4:
Joe Langworthy
Loga Forsythe
Nick Hagan
Jeremy Landrey
Taylor Ray
Tyler Atterberry
Christian Gibbens
Thomas Pekkala
Spencer Miller
Chuck Wilson (GK)

Team 5:
Michael Darter
Chaton Kome
Skler Young
David Gardner-Dale
Connor Harris
Thomas Nabelek
Mitchel Fedl
Elliott Phillips
Bo Brendel

Team 6:
Graham Meyer
Cody Gordon
Jacob Keener
Alex Holliday
Daniel Lindaman
Caleb St Omer
Adam Kopriva
James Griggs
Brad Storm

Summer Camp

2008-05-14T20:25:00.000-05:00

Summer camp is scheduled for June 23-27 at HHS.

Freshman/Sophomores: 8 am to 10 am

Juniors/Seniors: 6 pm to 8 pm

Cost is $35.00 payable to Hickman High School.

Must turn in physical to attend camp.

Hickman Coach Strodtman: Jon was Superman

2008-02-14T14:48:00.000-06:00

‘Jon was Superman’
Hickman coach Strodtman dies after long battle.

By RUS BAER of the Tribune’s staff
Published Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Jon Strodtman watches the Hickman girls soccer team play Helias in the 2006 district final — one of Strodtman’s best victories. Tribune file photo.

Hickman senior Liz Gayer felt blessed that Kewpies Coach Jon Strodtman was able to attend her signing ceremony last Wednesday to announce her decision to attend Missouri on a soccer scholarship.

"He wasn’t going to miss it, and if it makes him happy, then I’m so glad he was here," Gayer said last week. "That’s important to me because he might not have a lot of time left."

Don Shrubshell photo
Jon Strodtman, right, made his final public appearance Wednesday to see one of his players, Liz Gayer, left, sign a letter of intent to play soccer at Missouri.

The public appearance proved to be Strodtman’s last.

Diagnosed with intestinal cancer late in 1999 and weakened further when the cancer spread to his kidneys and liver, Strodtman died early yesterday evening at home with his wife, Kay, and their four children by his side. He was 45.

"Everyone is just happy that he has finally found peace," said Kay Lindner, a close friend of Strodtman’s and Hickman’s assistant for activities. "He’s fought such a hard battle, and in the end, no one wanted to see him continue to suffer. It’s hard to lose your best friend, but, man, you also want the best for them."

Strodtman waged a long and difficult battle with the gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors he was diagnosed with soon after leading the Hickman boys to a fourth-place state finish in 1999 - his first season as head coach. His treatment involved several surgeries and flights to Houston to participate in a clinical study that involved a mixture of experimental drugs.

After another abdominal surgery in early 2006, surgeons decided there was nothing more that could be done to treat his cancer. Unable to eat solid food because of blockages in his intestines, Strodtman received his nourishment for the past two years from an intravenous drip while he slept.

"When he went on the central line for feeding, you were like, ‘Oh, this is it.’ And he goes 2½ more years," Lindner said. "Jon was Superman. He just wouldn’t stop."

A native of Colorado, Strodtman moved to Columbia in 1996 and assisted Sandy Paulsen with the Hickman girls for three years before replacing the retiring Jeff Wallace as Hickman’s head boys coach in ’99. In 2005, Strodtman added the Hickman girls to his coaching duties.
Strodtman was Hickman’s second head coach for both programs. During his tenure, Hickman’s boys won two district titles (’99 and ’01) and the girls one (’06).

His most memorable coaching performance came in the spring of ’06, when he convinced the officials to overturn what appeared to be a game-winning overtime goal by Helias in the girls district final. Strodtman argued successfully that Helias was offside when the goal was scored. The game continued, and the Kewpies eventually won on penalty kicks to advance to the postseason.

Strodtman gave up his boys coaching position after the 2006 season because it would be difficult for him to remain hydrated in the extreme August heat, but he was planning on coaching the girls this spring when practices start Feb. 25.

During Gayer’s signing, however, it appeared clear that Strodtman would not be able to coach the Kewpies for another season. Sitting in a wheelchair and covered with a purple fleece, Strodtman did not speak during the ceremony.

"Just the fact that he was there was just amazing," Lindner said. "It took a lot out him just to be there."

Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at Hallsville Baptist Church. An open viewing begins at 2 p.m. Saturday in Hickman Auditorium, followed by a funeral service at 2:30 p.m.
As for Strodtman’s coaching position, Hickman Athletic Director Doug Mirts said Wallace, the former boys coach who Strodtman replaced, will coach the girls. Wallace was planning to be Strodtman’s top assistant this season.

Reach Rus Baer at (573) 815-1787 or rbaer@tribmail.com.

Districts 2007

2007-12-08T06:37:00.001-06:00

All District 10 First Team
Evan Camden 12 FWD Hickman
Justin Schmidt 12 GK Hickman
Graham Lloyd 11 MF Hickman

2nd Team
David Garman 12 BK Hickman
Kyle Boger 12 BK Hickman
Mason Morawitz 11 MF Hickman

Honorable Mention
Matt Baker 10 FWD Hickman

2007 Season

2007-12-01T19:27:00.000-06:00

2007 Varsity Game Recaps:

10/23: v Hannibal W 3-0. Goals scored by Mason Morawitz, Jervis Atagana, and Evan Camden. Assists by Taylor Cox, Matt Baker, and Evan Camden.
10/16: v Helias W 4-2. Goals by John Corbin, Evan Camden, Matt Bakers and an own goal. Assists by Michael Loesing (2), Matt Baker and Gilberto Palacio.
10/3: vs Mashall W 3-0. Goals scored by Mason Morawitz, Evan Camden, and Jervis Atagana. Assist by Matthew Baker and Ben Dierkes.
9/29: vs Morton, IL W 3-3, PKs 2-1. Goals scored by Evan Camden. Assists by Mason Morawitz (2) and Taylor Cox. Pks by Evan Camden and Matt Baker.
9/29: vs Peoria Richwoods L 0-3.
9/28: vs O'Fallon Township W 1-1, PK's 3-2. Goal scored by Evan Camden. Assist by Taylor Cox. PKs-Evan Camden, Davide Garman and Mason Morawitz.
9/26: vs Rockbridge W 2-1. Goals scored by Evan Camden & Graham Lloyd. Assist by Matt Baker.
9/15: vs Parkway South L 2-4. Goals scored by Matt Brumit & Evan Camden. Assist by Evan Camden and Mason Morawitz.
9/15: vs. Parkway Central T 0-0.
9/14: vs. Parkway North L 0-1.
9/12: vs. Jefferson City Jays W 2-1. Goals scored by Evan Camden & Jordan Occena. Assist Evan Camden & Mason Morawitz.
9/6: vs Camdenton W 2-1: Both gaols scored by Matt Baker.
9/4: vs Sedalia W 5-2:Goals scored by Jervis Atagana assisted by Matt Baker, Evan Camden assisted by Matt Baker, Mason Morawitz assisted by Jordan Occena, Matt Baker & Taylor Cox assisted by Evan Camden.
9/1: vs Webster Groves W 2-1: Both goals scored by Evan Camden. Assist Matt Baker & Taylor Cox.
9/1: vs Maine South L 1-4. Goal scored by Matt Baker.
8/31: vs Niles North L 1-4. Goal scored by Mason Morawitz.
8/20: @ Rolla L 2-4: Goals Harrison Cunningham & Evan Camden.

2007 JV Game Recaps:

10/23: vs Hannibal 2-1. Goals scoread by Ben Levin and Colin Janicek.
10/16: vs Helias L 0-2.
10/3: vs Marshall W 3-0. Goals scored by Koby Meyer, Andrew Schutte and Dalton Perry. Assists by Ben Levin and Jerod Tonyan.
9/26: vs Rockbridge w 1-0. Goal scored by Kirt Harris. Assist by George Plakorus.
9/22: vs Rock Bridge W 1-1, PK's CHAMPIONS of the First Columbia JV Tournament.
9/22: vs Jefferson City W
9/21: vs Camdeton W
9/12: vs Jefferson City L 0-1.
9/8: vs. CBC. L 0-4.
9/7: vs. Green Ridge. W 0-3. Goals scored by Cameron Hermann (2) and Connor Hollrah.
9/6: vs St Paul's Lutheran L 0-3.
9/4: vs La Monte W 10-0. Goals scored by Cameron Hermann, George Plakorus (2), Ben Levin, Kevin Davidson, Dalton Perry, Connor Hollrah, Jeremy Landry (2) and Chris Long.
8/30: vs Rolla W 2-0. Goals scored by Koby Meyer and George Plakorus.

2007 C Team Game Recaps:

10/4: vs Stover W 2-0. Goals scored by Jeremy Landry and Adam Brenner. Assist by Connor Hollrah and Christian Gibbens.
9/24: vs Helias L 0-2.
9/20: vs Rockbridge L 3-1. Goal scored by Connor Hollrah.
9/8: vs CBC L 0-4.
9/6: vs Camdenton L 0-3.
9/4: vs Sedalia T 3-3. Goals scored by Colin Janicek (2) and Taylor Ray.

2007 Photos

2007-11-30T19:33:00.000-06:00