Boys Soccer Preview
Coaches and players in most every sport strive to be part of one of the teams that are “peaking at the right time,” as the familiar saying goes.
Last season, several Cape area boys’ soccer teams followed through on that vision.
Through hard work and dedication, they got stronger as the season progressed, leading to a climactic finish to the season with several teams playing well and battling it out for every inch and every free ball in the district tournament.
No team was hotter than the Cape Coral Seahawks, who put together an eight-game winning streak, which included the District 5A-15 championship and a first-ever appearance in the regional finals.
The new season begins next week and teams, once again, will try to make constant improvements so they’re playing their best at the right time.
“There is a high bar to live up to, but we don’t worry about that,” said new Seahawks coach David Torres. “With the likes of (Ida) Baker, Mariner and Fort Myers out there, it will be hard enough just to stay competitive with these programs much less worry about last year’s accomplishments.”
The Seahawks made an unprecedented run last season. They entered the district tournament as the fifth seed, but knocked off top-seed Fort Myers, Baker and Mariner on their way to the title.
They continued with a pair of victories in the regional playoffs, resulting in the best season in school history.
The Seahawks return six starters but are going through some transition. Torres, who served as an assistant last year, steps in as head coach. Veteran coach Aldo Nardiello is taking a sabbatical from coaching the high school team. He guided the Seahawks the past three years and has coached nearly 30 years at various levels including club and college.
Torres brings some of his own philosophies, but also provides stability, already having been on the staff.
“Our strengths will be that we are building a strong program and all these kids know what we demand of them,” Torres said.
“We are a young team,” he added, “that just like their coach will grow stronger by the game.”
The Seahawks, who finished 14-8-4 last year, have some fresh faces, but return six starters, including senior forward Guillermo Duque, who has helped lead the attack for four years.
Senior midfielder Fabian Fajardo and junior defensive sweeper Andrew Gonzalez add to the team’s nucleus.
In each of the past two seasons, Cape has met rival Mariner in the district championship. The Tritons won 1-0 in a penalty kick shootout in 2008, and the Seahawks returned the favor with a 1-0 victory last year.
The FHSAA reclassification brought about new districts. The new 4A-11 includes Cape Coral, Mariner, Ida Baker, North Fort Myers, Fort Myers, Cypress Lake, Estero, Lemon Bay, Riverdale and South Fort Myers.
Island Coast and Bishop Verot belong to 3A-12, along with Dunbar, Gateway Charter and LaBelle.
The Tritons, who finished 14-10-4 last season, have been one of the most consistent programs, making seven regional appearances in the last eight years.
Tritons coach Martin Cardenas has served two separate stints, from 1995-97 and each year since 2000. He said his players traditionally have bought into the team concept and their strong conditioning has paid off.
“We have good discipline, conditioning and fundamentals,” Cardenas said. “We’re not flashy. We don’t have 20 club members on the team. I may have three or four kids that play club, but our kids are hard working.”
The Tritons lost several key players from last year, including standout goalkeeper Renato Proia, who holds the school’s all-time record with 16 shutouts.
“We’re in a rebuilding year,” Cardenas said, “but my expectations are not low, that wouldn’t be fair to the boys. I’d like for us to get better every week.”
Junior Matt Brust and senior Ricky Reed are two of the players vying for time in goal.
The Tritons should be strong defensively with the return of senior Matt Isherwood and junior John Teeter.
“They’re hardworking and dedicated. The team comes first to them,” Cardenas said. “Those are great kids for the others to feed off of.”
The Ida Baker Bulldogs had by far their best season last year, finishing 10-7-3. It was their first season above .500 since the varsity program started in 2005.
The Bulldogs expect to take another step forward with a large corps of returning players. They have balance with nine seniors, four juniors, five sophomores and three freshmen.
“We expect to make a really good push for the district championship,” said second-year Bulldogs coach Mick Whitewood. “The lads have to go out there and perform and play to their potential.”
Among the top returning players for the Bulldogs are senior midfield Harvey Rincon, junior striker Nick Presti and senior goalkeeper Jose Zuniga.
Presti already has received heavy interest from Notre Dame.
“He has blistering speed and is devastating with his left and right foot,” Whitewood said. “Nick is a natural goal scorer.”
The Bulldogs defeated rival Cape for the first time last regular season, but lost to the Seahawks 2-1 in a hard-fought district tournament match.
North Fort Myers begins the season under the guidance of new coach Ebenezer Akinola. Captains Scotty Belbeck and Tim Sommer lead the Red Knights.
Sophomore midfielders Ben Hamilton and Eric Carruega, and junior stopper Eric Agostinelli should be key contributors.
“We relish the challenges ahead,” Akinola said. “Our strong point is that we are very confident. Our weak point is that our best players are still playing other sports so we will not be at full strength the first few weeks.”
The Island Coast Gators are beginning their first varsity season. Like many other schools, coach John Ball said the Gators want to improve each week.
“We want to be competitive in every game we play,” he said, “and set the groundwork for a strong soccer program for the years to come.”
Seniors Daniel Chica (midfielder) and Dimitri Papdimitriou (midfielder), junior Ryan Wambolt (forward/midfielder), sophomore Juan Chica (defender) and freshman Brandon Palomino (midfielder) are some of the players leading the attack.
The Bishop Verot Vikings have plenty of experience from last year’s team that finished 17-5-2.
Seniors Bryant Whittaker (midfielder), Brenden Abernathy (midfielder), Chris Singleton (defender) and Michael Waldron (defender), and juniors James Gibson (midfielder) and Andrew Palumbo (forward) are among the notable returnees.