story by Carlos Molina

Many sports have their fair share of siblings playing side-by-side.

From tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams, to football’s Eli and Peyton Manning, playing with (or against) a sibling can help create a chemistry (or an advantage) between the two.

Jeffersonville High School’s Kurtis and Konner Kimmel fit that same category — the brothers both play Varsity soccer together for the JHS soccer team.

Growing up, Konner and Kurtis played on the same club soccer team (Javanon Soccer Club) for years. Since then, they’ve teamed up a couple of times on a 3-on-3 indoor team at Mockingbird Valley in Louisville, but have never played in anything more than recreational soccer together.

Despite this season being the first time the duo has shared a team on an organized squad, they have a pretty good idea of each other’s chemistry.

“He knows how I play and I know how he plays,” Kurtis said. “ I can always count on him to know what run I’m making and get me the ball.”

Konner, a freshman, agreed with his older brother.

“I am excited about playing with my brother because it is the first time I have gotten to play on the same team as him,” Konner said

With this being Kurtis’ last year as a decorated Red Devil footballer, Konner will have big shoes to fit. As a freshman, though, he is already showing big promise, as he is one of just two starting freshmen on this years Varsity team.

Boys soccer head coach Carson Webb has been there every step of the way with the Kimmel brothers, and sees the link between the two.

“Konner’s very competitive. He’s got his own drive,” Webb said. “They’re three years apart, but they know what they’re doing. Being on a high school team, they know where each other are going to be, (which) makes it neat to watch from the sideline.”

Despite being the older brother, Kurtis sees the potential in Konner’s game, but still claims to be the top dog in the family.

“Konner’s technique is exceptional for his age,” Kurtis said. “I think it’ll take some time before he develops vision and decision-making that I have.”

Being a senior, the role of team captain was awarded to Kurtis. A four-year starter, his involvement and dedication led to the honor.

For Konner, his career is just starting to take shape, and will continue even after his brother graduates.

“I think (Konner) will miss his brother like anyone else, but I also think he’ll step up and it’ll be good for him to be his own person instead of living under Kurtis’ shadow,” Webb said.

As the season comes to an end, so is Kurtis’ high school soccer career. With his departure, also comes Konner’s era to lead the team.

“I have always looked up go my brother,” Konner said. “Watching him play, I would like to learn how to be a team leader and improve the players around me.”

story by Braxton Troutman

Coming off a 2-1 heartbreaking loss in double overtime against Floyd Central in last year’s Sectional championship, the boys soccer team is looking to redeem themselves this season.

After the loss of six seniors to graduation, the 2017-18 squad is looking to move forward with a bright, young group of players. Top scorers of team include junior Jacob Clemons, Senior Ben Walter,and junior Leonel Esparza.

“I feel like we’re better than we were last year,” said senior Khaleb Khan. “Not saying we were bad last year, we’re just better this year. Things are looking good from here on. I think we’ll be successful, (win) titles.”

With victories against Atherton (KY) and North Harrison, in addition to an impressive 7-0 win against Christian Academy of Indiana, the season kicked off as a promising one for the Red Devils. Early losses, however, against defending state champs Evansville Memorial, and conference foe Seymour, have changed the team’s current morale. A “tie” game against conference foes Floyd Central ended with a power outage at the 26’ of the first half.

The team sits at 5-2-2 at time of press. With a tough schedule this year, they will have to face conference champions Seymour and will look to beat out Floyd Central for their Sectional crown.

The Jeffersonville girls soccer team is hungry for a comeback this year. With a record of 2-10-2 for the 2016-17 season, coach Jason Crane is looking for redemption.

“We always plan on improving our first touch and passing,” said Crane. “This year the extra improvement would be to gain some Red Devil pride and to get the job done.”

Junior Kylee Luce traveled to Spain over the summer with her club soccer team to participate in the Costa Blanca Cup. Luce thinks fans will be surprised with how much better the Devils have gotten this season.

“A lot of people think we are not a competitive team because of the results of the games, or our records from previous seasons. But if you actually come out to a game you would see how much we are improving and how much faster we play,” explained Luce. “We have a lot of potential this season.”

Freshman trio Olivia Jones, Kendra Salazar and Tiara Jones are who fans should look out for this year, according to Crane.

“Those three have some explosiveness about them, and within a year or two, could be hard to contain on the field,” said Crane.

Jones agreed with her coach’s opinion.

“I am most excited to see how much we grow as a team this season and these next four years,” Jones stated. “We have already shown so much progress since summer and I cannot wait to see how much we improve by the end of the season.”

Spotlight by Tristan Jackson

Jacob Clemons, 10

 

The player: Jacob Clemons, sophomore, has earned a starting spot on the Varsity soccer team, playing as a defensive center midfielder this year. His work ethic, passion for the sport, and experiences with injuries are what pushes him to be a better player.

 

Player’s perspective: “I’ve had injury problems so when I’m healthy I make sure to give it my all. I never know how long I’m going to be able to play.” — Clemons

 

Coach’s perspective: Varsity coach Carson Webb praised Clemons, saying the dedication and confidence he has shown is “beyond his years” and the reason he chose him.

 

Stats: Webb likes to focus on team accomplishments rather than individual stats, but Clemons recalls scoring a goal in a 3-3 tie against Fairdale during the Kentuckiana Cup and two more goals in a 7-0 win against Jennings County.

 

When to catch them next: 9/24 @ Providence at 7:30pm, 9/27 @ Silver Creek at 7:30pm, 10/1 vs. Columbus East at 12:30pm