SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Boys Varsity Soccer 1A & 2A Undiscovered Talent ?

It is usually our instinct to look at bigger schools when looking for talent. However, is there any talent in the smaller schools? Do yo guys know of any players from 1A and 2A who have some talent and are not very well-known?

I can only speak for the teams I'm familiar with in the upstate. Christ Church has a few solid players remaining on their roster, but Seiler was their real elite talent. Southside Christian is in the same boat with a few talented guys (Braden Myus comes to mind).

St. Joe's is where the 1A upstate talent is at right now. They beat JL Mann and Eastside last year and never gained much attention because they are 1A. Coming into this year they have 4 guys who played on the CESA U16 boys team that played for Tormey in the nat'l championship over the summer (Brennan Koslow, Chris Heijjer, Ryan Bertling, Josh Bertelsman) - all of those guys could play at the next level. Senior Austin Burnikel has signed at Clemson, following in his brother's footsteps. They will graduate a lot this year, but have young talent to fall back on (Jose Cera, Reilly Koslow (GK)). They also lost Michele Bottari who is with the DA..

In my opinion, this team could play with anyone in the state when healthy. The real challenge will be a few years down the road - not sure anyone can own 1A like Christ Church did for so many years.

Thank you for shedding some light on our team. We play St. Pius out of Atlanta today at 3:00; Riggs Field, Clemson.
They are one of the top teams in spring soccer so we will see where we stand after today as well as our next games against Cardinal Newman and JL Mann.
Ben
St. Joseph's soccer

In the Lowcountry, Academic Magnet is one of the better teams, regardless of enrollment.

Clemson still has soccer?

We have a player at Bamberg-Ehrhardt that could be one of the top players at center mid Wil Gilland. Leads our team in goals and assists, everything goes threw him,controls the pace of the game his vision is phenominal, can shoot with either foot and is very dangerous and accurate on set pieces. Hes a junior and a captain, very talented player. Has scored off of a free kick with both feet.

Guardrail: Saw Clemson play this past weekend in Rock Hill. They are definitely heading in the right direction.

I saw the 1987 championship game at Riggs Field. They have never been as good as they were with Ibrahim and they won't get back to that caliber any time soon.

Regarding small school talent, lets see what happens next Wed night.

Did NOT say they'll win a national championship. Said they're heading in the right direction. Some good, quick players who can ping it around pretty well. (From what I saw.)

"Regarding small school talent, lets see what happens next Wed night."

I was hoping to see guardrails comments on the game. Wando won, but it was an exciting game.

When you factor in the great girls game going to PKs before it, you got your money's worth last night.

I hear the referee was a space cadet on several occassions and other than that it was a very strong showing.

Wando went home tired.

If you are a student of the game and haven't watched the evoltuion of AMHS over the last 5-7 years your missing something.

They are the defending 2A state champions, coached by the NSCAA COY if Region 3 and the defending #1 academic team in the country. They are one of the smallest 2A schools in the state.

All in the last few years. And they are Wando's opponent on senior night.

now can the question be answered?

For the record, AMHS has some very good soccer players -- just not THAT many of them. Wouldn't have surprised me one iota to see them beat Wando.

interesting assessment of the defending 2A champions.

three losses this year, all to 4A teams by an average of 1/2 a goal.

How many good players do you need for that?

You need to go where the quality is to be seen.

Actually, my comment on the Wando/AMHS game reflects as much on Wando as Magnet.
Wando may well go undefeated and win the Class AAAA championship ... can't/won't say. They are, as their coach hastens to point out, "committed," and that's an important quality. They have several D-I prospects, even more "good" high school players, and a slew of "other" kids who'd play for any side in the state. After last year, they also have "something to prove." But they are by no means overwhelming in terms of raw physical/technical talent. Just numerically superior.
What does that say about Magnet? They are (obviously) a very good, well-coached side, and (I suspect) slightly more likely to win a state title than Wando. They, too, have several D-I prospects, a handful of "good" H.S. players, and another group of role-players. As compared to Wando, they have fewer really good players ... not surprising at all for a lower-enrollment school.
Put the two on the same field twice, and you pretty much get what you got this year. Good, competitive games.

Grant Dickey, JR, #13, Ninety Six High School, 57 goals, 18 assists, 132 points in 23 games, I have contact info if a coach wants it.