Advance Story
Fueled by a State Playoff Loss, Clarke Central Enters a New Season with Fresh Faces and Familiar Goals
With a devastating loss in the second round of the state championship last season, Clarke Central’s boys soccer team is fueled for a new season with new players.
The Gladiators lost 15 seniors since last season. With a strong senior class graduating, the team is entering an era of new dynamics. Out of the 11 starters last season, eight of the players graduated. This calls for some uncertainty this season, but head coach Chris Aiken says his expectations remain consistent.
“The standard is still to win the region and try to make it far in the playoffs,” Aiken said. “That’s the tone we set every day at practice and that’s kind of the expectation that I expect them to bring every day when they come to training.”
When asked if this would be considered a rebuilding season, the Gladiators were in unison that it would not be. Although the team lost a heavy amount of talent, they are confident in what still remains.
“No season is ever a rebuilding season here,” senior Simon Hogan said. “Every season has got to be win or nothing.”
Coming off of a loss against Dalton in the state playoffs, Clarke Central is holding onto that heart-breaking feeling. The Gladiators had an impressive season, going undefeated and winning their region championship. The season-ending loss is not something they remember fondly, but believe is valuable to remember.
“I think it’s incredibly important that anybody that was there on that day thinks of how they felt after we lost and just how that’s going to shape their season this year…even if they didn’t play,” Hogan said about his experience. “It’s not something I want to repeat.”
The team will use that loss as motivation coming into this season. Clarke Central finished try-outs Wednesday of last week and have its first game just over a week later. With a quick turn-around, Aiken is still figuring out where he will be placing players. This season, he must look to his sophomore class. He says the sophomore stand-outs include Henry Payne, Mario Perez, and Isham Koons.
Henry Payne scored the Gladiator’s sole goal in their game against Dalton. Aiken considers Henry and his older brother Grady Payne a “dynamic duo” on the field. Henry is expected to be the engine behind the offense this season, while Grady is a star player on defense.
Clarke Central consists of five seniors, four juniors, and 10 sophomores this season. Although the team is young, there is room for growth this season and the following years.
