Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Red Devils and Bulldogs meet again

There is no magic formula — just doing the small things right and a dash of good luck.

That’s what New Albany boys’ soccer coach Dutch Vigar puts the team’s postseason success in recent years down to.

The small things and some good fortune are a couple of the reasons why we said goodbye to Hoosier Hills Conference champions Floyd Central, who had gone unbeaten all season until Saturday (and remain unbeaten in the regular season). The Highlanders’ 15-1-2 achievement should not go forgotten.


Brian Fischer: 21 goals this season.

After a repeat of 2009’s IHSAA sectional championship penalty shootout victory over the Highlanders — and its third sectional title in a row — New Albany (6-9-2) will face Jeffersonville (16-2) Wednesday night in the second successive regional semifinal between the teams (Floyd Central, 8 p.m.).

Last year, New Albany won a tight encounter, courtesy of a Kameron Jenkins header, before going on to beat Seymour in the regional final on penalties.

This time, Carson Webb's Jeffersonville will be hoping to avoid a bus crash (no one hurt) before the game and a clean bill of health (three Red Devils missed the game due to sickness) for all its players.

That’s the easy part.

Although the Red Devils had a comfortable 4-0 victory over New Albany in the regular season, they should well know by now how resolute the Bulldog defense is this time of year.

The Red Devils do have, however, a strong attack. Brian Fischer has continued his regular-season form into the state series, already bagging five goals — including a hat trick against Providence in the Jeff Sectional decider on Saturday — to bring his tally this fall to 21.

Then there’s Jordan Vejar, who has 16 goals; Roberto Martinez (12); Gavin Leavell (11) and Vincent Straight (10).

Lucas Rigsby, who scored two goals against New Albany in the regular season, has eight goals and leads the team’s assists column with 19.

If the Bulldog rear guard, which includes goalkeeper C.J. Reynolds, Jordan Blessinger, Nick Blackwell, Luke Lete and Omar Garcia, can hold strong, it will be hoping its midfield and strikeforce can penetrate a Jeffersonville three-man defense.

Jenkins has six goals of his own in the postseason, while teammates Justin Oliver and Sean O’Connor also will be looking to catch the Red Devils on the break.

The winner of Jeffersonville and New Albany will be playing for a third IHSAA regional championship, as both have won it twice. The sectional count now stands at five and six, respectively, as we enter a two-class system next year when both teams are likely to return to facing off against each other before any regional takes place.

For the record, the Bulldogs also won a state championship in 1975, were state finalists in 1978, and won three regional and semistate championships in ’75, ’77 and ’78 before the IHSAA-organized tournament kicked off in 1994.

In the first of Wednesday night’s semifinals (6 p.m.), five-time sectional champs Madison (13-6-2) — 5-1 winners over Southwestern on Saturday — will take on Trinity Lutheran (15-2-1), which beat Seymour 5-2 to claim its first sectional championship.

The winner will get a chance to play for its first regional title in the final game at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Marlin Shattering Records

(Published Evening News & The Tribune, October 8)

The marlin is an incredibly fast billfish with a spear-like snout. The largest of the species is found in the Atlantic Ocean.

Namesake Casey Marlin also dazzles with her speed and unleashes venomous shots resembling spear-like missiles at opposition goalkeepers. She can be found in the fall on the soccer fields of southern Indiana wreaking havoc amongst hapless defenses.

This week, the 16-year-old striker brought her season tally to 26 and her high school career total to 56, breaking the Providence school record of 50 held jointly by Alix Hughes (2006 graduate) and current Manchester College leading scorer Laura Jenkins (2009).

And she’s still a junior.

“I wanted to break one record at Providence, and this is kind of like a way for me to be remembered after I leave,” says Marlin. “I don't have a number that I'm specifically aiming for by senior year; I just really wanted to beat it this year.”



Casey Marlin (right), with sister Caley. Photo by Kevin McGloshen, Evening News & The Tribune.

In fact, she will get a chance to break a second record on Monday when the Lady Pioneers line out against New Albany in the sectional quarterfinals for the third successive year. Jenkins’ season best of 27 (set in 2008) is looking a little bit shaky right about now, and could be broken post-season by one of her biggest admirers.

“Laura has actually been a huge influence on the way I play,” says Marlin. “I've always looked up to her, so it means so much that I can be recognized with her.”

After starting her playing days with local girls’ club Net-Surfers, which she says “definitely” had an impact on her, Marlin moved onto Javanon.

“My coach, Ntando Tsambo, taught me how to strike the ball with all my strength,” she says, “Every day at practice we would work on foot skills, and that made me a lot better. I learned how to dribble at speed with control, which is very important.”

Marlin is now part of Mockingbird ’94, where team mates include a couple of high school rivals in Floyd Central’s talented junior trio Taylor Patty, Lauren Haley and Rebekah Burgan.

She says that the Lady Highlanders – winners of the sectional championship for the past four years -- are “always very good” about marking her. It goes without saying that if Floyd Central, New Albany or anyone else in the nine team sectional have designs on this year’s title, they may have to come up with a way to stop the diminutive (about 5’ 3” but physically strong) goal getter.

The bad news for the opposition is that Marlin believes she’s learned to cope with the receipt of special attention.

“It is harder when a team man-marks me, but my coach (Dave Smith) has taught me to use my speed to my advantage,” she says. “I do like to think that I fool defenders by my appearance. I look small, but I can be pretty tough.”

Marlin is acutely aware, however, that without her team mates -- who have been dubbed the “Kick Chicks” -- she wouldn’t be breaking any records. On Wednesday, the Lady Pioneers – with a goal from Marlin -- defeated Louisville’s Mercy Academy 3-1 to end its regular season 14-1-1, the best in the school’s history.

“I definitely couldn’t do it without my team,” she says. “They know where and when to pass to me when I make runs. Lauren Holland (junior) especially knows every move I make before I make it. We have great chemistry together on the field - our whole team does.”

Others she is happy to be playing with, as opposed to playing against, are junior Kelsey Rogers and sophomore Leah Mattingly.

“I'm grateful that Kelsey is on my team that's for sure,” she says. “I think she's one of the best defenders in the area. It's very difficult to get past her, and the same with Leah.”

However, the one who makes her play her hardest, she says, is her sister Caley, a senior.

“Caley is an amazing player,” she says. “I am very lucky to be able to play with her. We can be honest with each other and help each other on the field, although we do argue sometimes!”

Providence coach Dave Smith says he expects the college offers to be flooding in for Marlin when she hits the showcase circuit this fall and next spring.

“Casey is a very unselfish player, often man-marked or at the very least given special attention by the defense,” says Smith. “This makes her accomplishments that much more impressive.

“These are legitimate goals scored, and never do we allow her to drop in five to 10 in one match against a lesser opponent.”

Marlin is level headed about a prospective college soccer career.

“I would definitely love to play in college,” she says. “I'm not sure if I would be ready to play at a Division 1 school, but I've got some time to think about it.”

And some time to wreak more havoc on the fields of southern Indiana!