Scott Jividen has been involved in Madras High School boys soccer for a good section of his life. He played on the team for four years as a student, graduating in 2003, and he has been an assistant coach for the past 15 seasons.
When longtime head coach Clark Jones retired after last season, with back-to-back league championships and coach of the year honors, he said there was only one person for the job: Jividen, his longtime assistant.
And Jividen was never one of those quiet assistants who merely watched the games and made quiet suggestions. He was more active, important, given license by Clark to take some leadership, allowing the defensive-minded Jividen a major, vocal role during practices and games.
Jividen said his strength as a coach is, "I know what I know and I know what I don't know." With that, he noted his two new lead assistants, Ramon Castaneda and Cesario Alonso, who the new head coach was excited to have have on board.
Jividen is also excited about the large turnout for practice this August — 60 students, a higher than normal number for pre-school turnout — and he's eager to see how the returning talent jells on the field.
And the talent is definitely there.
Two first team all-Tri-Valley Conference players from last year are back: senior forward Steve Gonzalez and junior midfielder JJ Gutierrez. Second team midfielder Eben Tapia, another senior, is also back. He and Gonzalez head into the season having started since their sophomore seasons. Gonzalez is one of the league's top scoring threats, and Gutierrez and Tapia are also outstanding goal-scorers.
Jividen thinks his experienced offensive attackers, as a group, should be the best in the strong Tri-Valley this season.
Defensively, the Buffs have two honorable mention all-leaguers from last year back: Jacob Turo and Juan Pablo Olivera, who was honorable mention even though he was injured for nearly all of league play.
Christian Brown, E.J. Pacheco and Andy Pineda are three others Jividen noted who have looked good as defensive players so far.
And defense is Jividen's focus. His standard lineup includes just one forward, four midfielders and five defensive players. The midfielders need to be adept at both offense and defense, and fast and skilled enough to turn into goal-scoring threats when opportunity arises.
Madras also has to replace two-year starter and all-league goal-keeper Javier Castro. Jividen noted that historically the program has struggled in the net, but new coach Alonso specialized in goal-keeper work and has made a huge impact already.
So far, Cruz Chavez has looked good in the position and has a grip on it after the first week of practice. He's knowledgeable, tall and rangy and covers ground well, noted the coach.
According to Jividen, a lot of athletes have looked good so far.
"That's a good thing and a kind of a bad thing as not everyone can play at the varsity level," said Jividen.
As for a league prediction? Nearly impossible.
"We have a solid league, lots of good coaching," said Jividen. "It could be anybody's year, we're all so close competitively. Every team brings athleticism and skill."
The Buffs are diving right into the deep end this season with a stanch pre-league schedule. They open at the Philomath jamboree and the two teams they'll face, Cottage Grove and Newport, met in the state championship last season. They'll open at home against a strong 3A school in Sisters Sept. 5 at 6 p.m., then hit the road for two, against 5A Mountain View Sept. 10 and then Henley Sept. 12. North Marion — who beat Madras 5-0 early in the year then 1-0 with a goal in the final moments in the playoffs last season — comes to town Sept. 19.
Jividen is looking forward to the tough start, and praised MHS athletic director Walt Stahl for setting it up.
"We'll find out real fast what we're about and what we need to work on," said Jividen.
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