As Shawnee continues its transition from Class 5A to 6A, a wealth of experience returns for the Lady Wolves’ soccer team.
A number of starters are back from last year’s 7-6 crew, including seniors Jennifer Jett, Caycee McKee, Molly Gettle, Sierra Ward, Mariah Beuford and Jordan Parsons. Jett will serve as a sweeper, and Parsons a forward, while McKee and Gettle work as defenders.
Ward and Beuford return as midfielders, along with juniors Jaimie Arnold and Summer Little and sophomore Emalee Staude.
Sophomore Hannah Jett returns as a defender, and junior Whitney Heer will serve as the Lady Wolves’ goal keeper this season.
“We don’t really have a whole lot of gaps to fill this year, and most of the girls have varsity experience,” said Lady Wolves mentor Justin McCain.
The biggest issue, McCain said, was finding a replacement for keepers Laynie Henry and Shelley Leird, who graduated in 2009.
“That was going to be a big gap for us this year, but Whitney has really stepped up,” McCain said. “She’s up to the task.”
In five preseason scrimmages, the Shawnee girls accumulated 17 goals — while Heer gave up only one.
“If we keep going at the rate we’re going, we’ll be all right this year,” McCain said.
The Lady Wolves ended their 2009 run with a 2-0 defeat of Collinsville, but narrowly missed a three-peat playoff appearance. This left the team — especially this year’s crop of seniors — a little bitter, McCain said, and they are out for vengeance.
“They have a little chip on their shoulders from not making the playoffs last year,” he said. “This year’s seniors made it as freshmen and sophomores.”
Moving up a class doesn’t seem to be an issue for the Lady Wolves, McCain said, and they are ready to prove themselves.
“Being in 6A hasn’t really hampered their motivation or their drive,” he said. “We’re kind of in the same boat we were in in 5A — We have the ability to do well in our district.”
The Lady Wolves shared the East’s fourth district last year with Class 5A powerhouse Bishop Kelley, an 11-time state defender. This year, they join the West’s second district and will face Edmond Memorial, Norman North, Mustang, U.S. Grant, Lawton Ike, Westmoore and PC West.
Memorial was a semifinalist in 2009, while Norman North and Mustang were quarterfinalists. Overall, the competition is stiff, McCain said, but his players “should be able to handle it.”
“I’m really anxious to see where we stack up,” he said. “It’s a great group of girls this year. They’re really focused and they set their goals high.”
The Lady Wolves open their regular season today at the Noble Tournament, which continues through Saturday. They will open district place April 1 against visiting Mustang.
Because of field renovations, all of Shawnee’s home soccer contests this year will be played at Oklahoma Baptist University. All of the games will start in the early afternoon because there are no lights at OBU’s field, McCain said.
Wolves under
new direction
Led by Steve Miller last year, the Shawnee boys are under the direction of head coach Tito Schwabe this season. Schwabe, a 2007 graduate of Wayland Baptist University, is currently studying for an English education degree at Oklahoma Baptist.
Much like the girls’ team, the Wolves have an ample supply of experienced players this year, and they are anxious to try another run at the postseason. The Shawnee boys reached the playoffs last year for the first time in the program’s history, and were dealt a 10-0 first-round blow by then defending 5A state champion Tulsa Washington.
Schwabe said initially, his ranks included only 15 players, but that number quickly grew to 24. Many of the players have prior experience, he said, and the team as a whole is starting to gel nicely.
“We have a lot of depth now, and they’re starting to work together,” Schwabe said. “I’m excited about the next couple of games.
“At the Choctaw Festival (scrimmage), they did a lot better job of playing together.”
Among the players who have returned this year are seniors Colby Anderson, Dylan Heilman and Zane Dixson. Others with prior experience include seniors Daniel McLaughlin and Jacob Daniel; juniors Micah Henson, Corben Williams, Tyler Young and Jamie Angel; and sophomores Hunter Holley and Kyle Lykins.
In making the transition to Class 6A, the Wolves have already stared down an opponent in their district. They faced U.S. Grant in the Choctaw Festival, and despite the 2-0 setback, Schwabe was impressed.
“We played a pretty good, tight game. We held our own,” Schwabe said.
Competing in 6A — with teams like Edmond Memorial, Norman North and U.S. Grant — will not likely slow the Wolves down any, he said.
“I think we will definitely surprise some people,” Schwabe said. “They’re going to underestimate us, and I think we’re going to show them something.”
The Wolves “feel they have something to prove,” Schwabe said — that they will play like 6A competitors.
“These guys will work, and that’s half the battle right there,” he said.
Schwabe is assisted this season by Nick Pettit, a member of the OBU men’s soccer team.
Schwabe came to Shawnee from the Dallas, Texas, area, where he served as an assistant coach last year for the Poppell High School girls and boys. The PHS girls were the 2009 state champions.
Also in the Dallas area, Schwabe worked as an assistant coach at camps and gave private lessons in the summer. He volunteered as an assistant coach with the women’s soccer team while attending Wayland Baptist.
The Wolves will open their 2010 season Friday at the Noble Tournament, which concludes Saturday. They will visit Broken Arrow next Tuesday, and Guthrie next Thursday.
“We’ve got a big week coming up,” Schwabe said.
The Wolves will open the district portion of their campaign April 1 against visiting Mustang. The Wolves will play all of their home games this year at OBU.
Note: For a look at Shawnee’s 2010 soccer schedule, and complete varsity rosters, see the Scoreboard.
SHAWNEE, Okla. —
