2009 Preview: Neuqua Valley

By Gary Larsen

Coaches will always tell you that the difference between attacking and defending lies at midfield, where battles won allow you to get forward and battles lost put you on your heels.

The midfield at Neuqua Valley this year should be awfully fun to watch.

Seniors Bryan Ciesiulka and Zach Kovacevic and junior Jacob Brindle should help keep the Wildcats in attack mode this season.

“We have one of the most formidable midfield trios that I’ve ever worked with,” said new Neuqua coach Tony Kees. “Those three guys are going to run the game for us.”

Senior Fernando Cruz and junior Nico Makropolous also figure to play key roles at midfield in 2009

Junior Patrick Doody and seniors Cale Brown and Scott Davis will all be key players in the final third, but a Neuqua team with high expectations this year is nothing if not deep with talent.

Seniors Nate Freed, Tyler Flatt, and Brandon Loncar plus junior Sam Al-Qady give Kees quite an arsenal in his attack.

Defensively, players like senior central defenders Ricky Marton and Keegan Balle, and juniors Will Butler and Pat Kaindl form an athletic, fast, and physical back line. The Wildcats can also count on seniors Omel Perchatsch and Tom Terlep, and junior Alex Karkazis to keep the level of play high in back.

Balle is a transfer student from Lincoln-Way Central, and his communication skills will also help key the defense.

"It looks like we’re pretty solid back there, and we have the ability to get forward in the wide positions,” Kees said. “The system we play is demanding but I think the guys we have can handle it.”

Through the preseason Marton has provided a strong example of a quality that coaches covet. “He has been the most consistent of all the guys in back,” Kees said. “He’s very solid.”

Senior goalkeeper Jack Turanchik is hard-working and rock-solid, and sophomore Hunter Hollingshead has earned a spot as Turanchik’s backup.

Seniors Bryan Keller and Kevin Weingarz, junior Blake Carson, and sophomore Nick Smith round out arguably the deepest pool of talent on any roster you’ll find this season.

The Wildcats enter the season with a target on their backs as the consensus top team in Illinois, but only time will tell how well they mesh on the field.

“It’s all good so far but it’s a honeymoon period we’re still going through at this point,” said Kees, who spent more than 20 years as the head coach at Conant. “We’ll have to see how we respond to the ups and downs of the season, but it’s a good, solid group of kids.”

2009 Schedule