Sister(s) Act!

It’s a family affair for the girls of New Albany this season, where three sets of sisters hope to lead the Lady Bulldogs to a successful fall.

Not only do they have newcomer twins Stephanie and Selena Iglesias, but they also have the returning Kayton and Kamaren Cole, as well as Lindsay and Miranda Duffy.


Kamaren and Kayton Cole, Selena and Stephanie Iglesias, and Miranda and Lindsay Duffy. Photo by Kevin McGloshen.

The Iglesias girls, who thankfully for all those involved with the team are not identical, have played the game since they were four-years-old.

Their mother, Rhonda, said they live and breathe soccer, and when not playing for their club, Net-Surfers, can be found practicing in the back yard with their dad. Their ultimate dream is to play for the U.S. or Peruvian national teams (their dad is from Peru).

“They love playing together and sometimes have twin telepathy on the field,” she said. “They have really dreamed of playing high school soccer at New Albany for many years. It is especially exciting for them to be on the same team and challenge each other to do their best.

"They have been so welcomed to the team by the coaches and the players especially the upper classman who have done an excellent job making the new players feel welcomed."

Coach Julie Deuser said having sisters is a “really great thing.”

“I like the idea of our team being like a family and having true sisters only helps with this,” she said.

On the Iglesias twins, Deuser said they understand the game and are dangerous with the ball.

“Both girls have excellent footwork and definitely make things happen on the field,” she said. “They will be an important part of our offense.”

Kayton Cole, a senior, and her sister Kam, a junior, play indoors for the school’s basketball team in the spring, are also very gifted outdoors on the soccer field, said Deuser.

“Both girls have outstanding speed and skill,” she said. “Kayton is a strong all around player who can play any position on the field, while Kam is an excellent attacker.

Miranda Duffy, meanwhile, is a freshman, joining sister Lindsay, a junior, and both are solid players, said Deuser.

New Albany, which finished last year with a 12-3-1 record, plays it first game of the regular campaign against Forest Park at Prosser field this evening (6 p.m.)

“I am looking forward to this season,” said Deuser. “We are a young team, but very talented. In the past we have had one or two stand out players who were relied on to do most of the work. This year, I believe every player on the field will play an important role in our success.”

Highlanders’ Hoosier Hills aim

Floyd Central boys might have lost their all time goal scorer Jordan Adams and seven other senior starters, but it is still hopeful of filling the voids this season.

Last year, the Highlanders were just edged out by Seymour and Columbus East for the Hoosier Hills Conference title, and then lost in the sectional final on penalty kicks to rival New Albany to finish the season 11-4-3.

Coach Zach Watson said this year’s squad has the potential to do better.

“This is a very talented group with a lot to prove, and the potential to be one of our best,” he said. “We were one game shy of winning the conference again last year and we are working hard to accomplish our goal of winning it this year.

“We were disappointed with the way we ended the season and are hungry to get the sectional title back to Floyd Central.”

Key returnees include senior Will Spiller, and juniors Matt Kelecy and Cray Trimble, while the team will also benefit from the transfer of senior Tyler Butler from Providence.

The entire coaching staff -- including DJ Barksdale, Ben Smith and Brad Senn -- also returns.

Floyd Central kicks off its season with home games against Forest Park on Thursday (7 p.m.) and East Central on Saturday (12.30 p.m.). Then it’s on the road to rival Providence next Tuesday (August 24, 7 p.m.).

And the Highlanders won’t lack backing for any of their games, believes Watson.

“Our team has great support from our parents, fans, the community, and our school,” he said.



Jacob Holland of Floyd Central and Jeffersonville’s Gavin Leavell battle for possession during the jamboree held at the home of the Highlanders Saturday evening. The event featured the boys’ and girls’ varsity squads from both schools, and from New Albany. Photo by Ronda Trimble.

Jamborees kick off the new season

The high school fall soccer season kicks off this Saturday with the traditional jamborees at Floyd Central and Providence.

And what a memorable season it promises to be. Can Floyd Central girls’ varsity make it five sectional titles in a row before the new two class structure is introduced in 2011?

Can Providence stop the run and regain a crown last won in 2005? Or maybe New Albany will spoil the party for both, and lift its first IHSAA sectional championship?
Floyd Central coach Lewie Stevens believes the Pioneers, coached by Dave Smith, are the team to beat this fall.

“They are skilled at every position and one year stronger and wiser,” he said.

Stevens also believes New Albany, led by Julie Deuser, will be a formidable opponent this year.

“They lost (Kaitlin) Robinett but they are still fast, skilled and very well coached,” he said. “They won’t rely on one player as much and could possibly be more dangerous and well balanced than last year.”

The Highlanders, narrowly beaten in last year’s regional championship encounter by Columbus North, are themselves working very hard in a bid for more honors, revealed Stevens.

“This group is very enjoyable because they have a good work ethic but also enjoy having a good laugh,” he said. “Despite last year’s experience we are still a pretty young team.”

Over on the boys’ side, New Albany comes into the fall as defending regional champion, a title earned after a fantastic post-season under the guidance of coach Ben Vigar.

Returning as the team’s head coach will be his father, Dutch, who has been involved with Bulldogs soccer for the past 21 years.

“It feels great to be coaching again, he said. “I am extremely proud and happy for my son Ben and the success he experienced at the end of last season. I wish he were on the coaching staff this year, but he has decided to take a break since he and his wife Jenna recently had a beautiful daughter named Molly.”

The post-season rivalry between Jeffersonville and Providence will also come to an end after this fall due to the two class system. Both teams are under the stewardship of new coaches in the shape of Carson Webb and Brandon Rogers respectively.

Christian Academy of Indiana, meanwhile, may be without standouts Andrew Rosenberg and Drew Mattingly, but coach Will Lorigan still expects his Warriors to be a handful for the traditional powerhouses once again come post-season.
You will be able to catch a glimpse of the area’s top teams and players at both of Saturday’s jamborees.

First into action will be the participants at Providence, which will include the boys and girls of the hosts, North Harrison, Corydon and Madison.

Action kicks off at 3.30 p.m. and admission is $5 for adults, $2 for students and free for children 10 and under. The alumni game will follow.

The Floyd Central jamboree starts at 6 p.m. and will feature boys’ and girls teams from the hosts, Jeffersonville, and New Albany.

Games are 20 minutes in length with just one half.

Foursome to play in national league

Javanon’s 1994 team, which features southern Indiana foursome Jordan Vejar, Nick Blackwell, Matt Kelecy, and Daniel Wilburn, has just been accepted into the US Youth Soccer National League, which kicks off in November.

The team recently won the Midwest Regional League’s Premier Red Division at U16 level, and will now compete in one of the two U17 eight team leagues.
It is the first time any team from Kentucky has played in the league – which caters for the nation’s top boys’ and girls’ teams in the U15, U16 and U17 age categories -- since its inception in 2007.

Coach Jason Bell said that being accepted into the national league is an exceptional accomplishment for the boys as well as the club, and is a direct result of the hard work and sacrifice by the team.

“As the first team from Kentucky to be accepted into the league, we have a chance to show the nation that our area is producing high-level talent and play,” said Bell. “Playing games against the best teams in the country in their age group will not only be an exciting opportunity, but very important for the college recruitment of these boys.”



He added that Blackwell (New Albany), Vejar (Jeffersonville), Matt Kelecy (Floyd Central), and Daniel Wilburn (Providence) have all played a crucial role in the team's success.

“Nick, Jordan, and Matt anchored a defense that was exceptional all season, while Daniel Wilburn provided much needed energy and enthusiasm to our attack,” said Bell.
Also pivotal to the success of the team, he added, is former coach Derek Willis, who is now the head coach at Georgetown College in Kentucky.

The seven game season will begin with games from November 18-21 in Wilson, North Carolina, with the second round of games taking place from February 19-21 in Florida. The final play date will combine boys and girls in late March with the location and specific dates to be announced.

Above: Jordan Vejar, Nick Blackwell, Daniel Wilburn and Matt Kelecy.

Parental interference cause coach to resign

A few days ago, I was in the middle of penning (or computering) a few words on the new high school fall soccer season and the subject of parents, when -- lo and behold -- news broke about an Indiana varsity boys’ coach abruptly resigning due “parental interference.”

The coach in question, Bashir Birany, led Zionsville to its first ever state title last October. He was quoted in the Indianapolis Star as saying that said interference “had been going on for a while,” had undermined him, and was affecting his ability to do his job.

It was his lone season at the Eagles, where he went 20-3-2 after taking over from Mike Smith in 2009.
One of the biggest problems with parents of high school soccer players is that quite a few of them never played or were immersed in the game as youths and are therefore not that well versed in its laws or tactics.

So, when opinions are expressed in a public or aggressive fashion, they are not helpful to referees, players or coaches.

Partly because of this ignorance – and partly because of glasses of the rose tinted variety -- their views of the talents of little Johnny or Mary can also be a little skewed, causing problems with off the field with coaches.

Some of the parents are even involved in the team set-up in some way, which causes additional conflict when their influence is used in a manipulative way.

Don’t get me wrong: I love the fact that people who never had an interest in the sport suddenly do, even if it is solely because their child has chosen to play the sport. The more the merrier.

And a number of these parents have actually made the effort to educate themselves, and are also of great benefit to their respective teams in terms of the work they put in each year.

There will be a few new head coaches of our area high school soccer teams when the season kicks off next week. They include Brandon Rogers (Providence boys), Carson Webb (Jeffersonville boys) and Jeremy Pickerell (Jeffersonville girls), while Dutch Vigar returns as New Albany boys’ boss.

Hopefully they, and those who return to coach your kids and mentor them over the coming months, will be allowed do their jobs as best they can without too much outside interference.

If you are new, or relatively new, to the game and are willing to learn more about it, one very useful website is Soccer for Parents (www.soccer-for-parents.com), where you can also download an e-book entitled, “Ten Simple Soccer Rules for Baffled Parents.”

Watching as much soccer as possible, either local games or those on TV, is also recommended, as is seeking out a referee soccer course.

As your knowledge increases, so too will your appreciation of the game. You won’t be disappointed and the game on a local level will be that little bit better for it.

National champions crowned

The US Youth Soccer national champions were crowned this week at Overland Park in Kansas.

There was no local representation this year after Javanon ’92, featuring Jeffersonville’s Trevor Bruner, was eliminated by Shattuck St Mary’s of Minnesota in the Region II championship game in Dayton, Ohio in June.

Shattuck finished runner-up after losing the U18 Andy Stone Cup championship decider 1-0 to EastSide United 91 Liverpool of Oregon. It was the state’s first ever national crown.

A total of 12 titles were decided for boys and girls from U14 to U19. The other 11 winners were from California (four), Texas (three), Illinois, Maryland, Georgia and Ohio.

Meanwhile, it was announced that Phoenix, Arizona will host next year’s national championships. The Region II (Midwest) tournament will take place at Fox Cities, Wisconsin.

ODP a lot of fun for Little

Last week, we brought you news of Silver Creek sixth grader Grant Hollkamp’s exploits at the ODP boys’ camp in Kansas.

This week, it’s the turn of New Albany High School junior defender Taylor Little, who was part of the Indiana 1993 team that participated at the Region II camp in DeKalb, Illinois recently.

The team took on Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio South and eventual overall winners Michigan.

Little, who plays her club soccer with Mockingbird, got to play every minute of every game, and said the competition was tough but was a great experience and a lot of fun.


Above: New Albany High School’s Taylor Little (front row, second from right) is pictured with her Indiana OPD 1993 teammates at the Region II camp in DeKalb, Ill. recently.