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Eight sign with Spartanburg Methodist


By Barry Byers The Herald
(Published March 29‚ 2006)

Dan Kenneally, the men's soccer coach at Spartanburg Methodist College, is probably licking his chops by now.
Tuesday afternoon, eight Northwestern High School seniors signed grants to play for him the next two years, giving Kenneally the nucleus from a team that has ruled the Upper State the past four seasons.

Since the signees reached high school, Northwestern has won three straight Region 3-AAAA championships, was runner-up in the Class AAAA state championship game twice, has been ranked No. 1 in Class AAAA most of that time, including this year, and last season climbed to No. 1 in the nation for several weeks.

The 2003 team was 23-2, the 2004 team 24-4, last year's team 25-2 -- setting the school record for most wins in a season -- and this year's team is off to a 10-1 start.

Now if only they can bring that kind of magic to the Pioneers.

"It started off with me, Ben (Brannan) and (Jimmy) Cannizzaro visiting there,'' said defender Rob Tice, the son of Frank and Cissy Tice. "We told coach Kenneally that we could probably bring more players with us, so when we came back and told them we decided to stick together.

"It's exciting to think that all of us are going to the same college. Coach Kenneally was really excited when we told him about the other players.''

The other eight signees are keeper Taylor Crawford, son of Ken and Lauren Crawford; striker Mitchell Gullick, son of Lois Veronen and Carl Gullick; striker Andrew Lehman, son of William and Joanne Lehman; striker Andrew Phillips, son of James and Sylvia Phillips and D.J. Piers, son of Don and Robyn Piers.

Cannizarro, a striker, is the son of Jim and Diane Cannizarro, and Brannan, a defender, is the son of Gary and Rene Brannan.

"I'm looking forward to going there,'' Crawford said. "I've grown up with these guys and they are my closest friends. I don't know where I'd be without them.''

Spartanburg Methodist is a two-year school with more than 250 athletes competing on 13 teams. The Pioneers compete at the Division 1 level of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

"We'll be playing with one of our guys who graduated last year, Jonathan Caratella,'' Brannan said. "So actually, we'll have nine former Northwestern players on the team next year.

"Most of us have played together since we were 10 and 11 years old. So when we get to college, it's really not going to be that different.''

College soccer is played in the fall. This year's team was 6-6-4. Last year, the Pioneers were 8-10 and each loss was to a team in the top 15 of the country when the game was played.

Barry Byers • 329-4099

bbyers@heraldonline.com

"Most of us have played together since we were 10 and 11 years old. So when we get to college, it's really not going to be that different.''

what they don't realize is how much the game changes at the college level. they will definitely play well together, knowing each other's strengths. however they all have to make that transition from dominating in High School, to the College league.

I'm sure they realize that the game changes substantially. It's funny how little it seems instate schools recruit instate players...and then we have a school recruiting 8 from one school...

Spartanburg Methodist has been recruiting instate talent for the last couple of years from the beach area, mainly Socastee.

Kind of funny. The most extreme points of the state are where they get their core of players.

"Most of us have played together since we were 10 and 11 years old. So when we get to college, it's really not going to be that different.''

Is this what most people want when they go to college? College should be a totally new experience, not an extension of high school.

..how much different from HS can it be when you go to Spartanburg Methodist?

LE,
Can you expand on that thought?

no, ledude, don't do it

LE Dude...I was kind of thinking the same thing. I was kind of surprised when I hear so many great things about NW and then to see that the best that 8 or 9 of their players can get is to go to a JR college to play...just didn't add up. If they are going there for academic reasons and the soccer is just a "side" benefit then that is great. But from purely a soccer perspective I would have expected more.

Why would you say that GVL Dad? Same thing in my book as High Point or Limestone. Yet these guys get a chance to move on to a better school in two years. I would have thought Arroyo would have done this as well.