Monday, September 29, 2008
By Jon Moffett
South Range has shown improvement in its soccer program.
NORTH LIMA — The South Range boys soccer team is making some sweet music this season.
It may be the 14 members of the school band on the team, but the Raiders (9-1-2) are enjoying the sounds of victory.
Coach Bill Wagonhouser said having so many band members makes preparation more difficult, but it also shows how strong the team is when it comes to adversity.
“I tell these kids, band is very important,” Wagonhouser said. “We work around that and we work hard.”
Aside from the playing of instruments, the play on the field has been exceptional as well. Fans of exciting soccer need to look no further than South Range.
Wagonhouser acknowledged there is never a dull moment at one of the team’s games.
“We’ve won 3-1, 2-1, and we’ve made every game exciting,” Wagonhouser said. “Anybody that wants to come and watch exciting soccer, come and watch us play because we keep them as close as we can.”
Wagonhouser is in his third year as coach of the Raiders and has noticed his team getting better each season.
“It’s been fun so far and it’s been a great season for us.,” Wagonhouser said. “We’ve really improved every year.”
Most of the success for the team comes from a mixture of senior leadership and a strong freshman class, Wagonhouser said. Of the 25 boys on the team, 10 are freshmen.
“I’m looking forward to a good program for years,” Wagonhouser said. “This is a good group of boys.”
Wagonhouser added the school has been very supportive of the soccer program. He said he hopes the soccer team will steadily improve and become a perennial playoff contender like the football team has become.
“It’s a great school system,” Wagonhouser said. “There’s a great future here and it’s just been a lot of fun for me.”
Despite the success this year, Wagonhouser, a former assistant coach at Crestview, admits coaching was more difficult than he originally thought.
“I try to tell people that it’s a lot of work,” Wagonhouser said. “It’s more work and more time than you ever think it will be. But it is very rewarding. Whether you’re 9-1 or 1-9, it’s fun to be out here with the kids.”
Wagonhouser said the team goals are to win the remaining five games on the schedule and go deep into the tournament.
South Range plays host to Jackson-Milton tonight at 7 at the football stadium.
jmoffett@vindy.com