Cards’ soccer team hopes to fly under new head coach

When last year’s George Rogers Clark High School boys’ soccer team won the 40th District Championship, it broke a streak long-held by rival Montgomery County.

With some new staff entering this season, the team looks to maintain and build on its reign.

“Coming in, my expectations were high, but immediately, once we got out there for practice following tryouts, my expectations even grew”, said head xoach Braden Powell, who is in his first year with GRC after previously leading Model High School in Richmond. “The boys have really responded well to what we’ve wanted them to do and what we’ve asked them.”

The team lost some dependable players from last season due to graduation, including strikers Clay Turley, Joby Mittmesser and midfielder PK Vogel.

However, the roster still consists of much talent.

Among them will be senior midfielder Caleb Bush.

“He’s a pretty all-around player,” Powell said. “He’s a physical player. He’s smart. He can also provide goals from the mid-field as well…we love to have it.”

On defense, senior captain Landon Clark was mentioned.

“He stepped up when we needed him to fill a void,” Powell added. “Between his leadership and his on-field play, he’s huge for us.”

Other players to look for include senior striker Conner Thorn – who missed last season due to injury yet is expected to play a scoring role this year – plus seniors Gratz McCraith and fleet-footed junior Nehemiah Israel, who enters the starting lineup.

Yet Powell also spoke highly of the team overall.

“As a collective group, we have 20-some guys who can all play,” he said. “We’re rotating [heavily] right now, and that’s a testament to the talent that [this] team has.”

The team has prepared a competitive schedule in anticipation of contending for a 10th Region championship.

An early season matchup with defending 10th Region Champion Bishop Brossart provided an early test, a 2-1 loss, with games against western Kentucky powerhouses Bowling Green and South Warren and a September 12 matchup against Henry Clay looming.

Defending 12th Region champion West Jessamine will take on the Cards in Winchester on September 17.

“We do have a tough schedule in general…that’s the way we like it,” Powell said. “We like to be tested…I only see benefits and positives from that.”

When asked what he wanted GRC fans to know about the upcoming season, Powell offered some words.

“I would really encourage the community to come…and check this team out, and understand that GRC soccer is on the rise,” he said. “It’s a group [of] fantastic kids that represent our high school with a lot of class.”

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