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