in today's newspaper:

quote:
Dedication is a good word -
Wildcats proving they're not just another easy win

BY BILL HENLEY
The Post and Courier


Not too long ago in boys' soccer, a date with West Ashley was considered a winnable game for most programs, if not a walkover for the elite teams.

But the times, they are a-changin'.

"Teams definitely come out a lot harder and more physical than they have in the past," junior sweeper Alex Pennekamp said. "Usually Wando would come in, score two or three goals and then not play that hard."

It was against the Wando Warriors, a perennial state championship contender, that the Wildcats locked up a 2-1 victory that might serve as a benchmark for the program's continued success.

"It was huge, because that just showed everyone we weren't just another win on everyone's schedule," said junior Brady Johnson, who has seven goals and seven assists this season. "When we beat (Wando), it made us realize we have a chance to get pretty far in the playoffs."

"It gave us more confidence in ourselves," Pennekamp added.

The Wildcats are 9-3-1 overall and 4-0 in Region 7-AAAA, which includes top-10 teams Wando and James Island.

Pennekamp and Johnson said attitude has been the biggest key to the Wildcats' success.

"We're playing as a team and everybody works hard," Pennekamp said.

Said Johnson: "We didn't have everyone working hard last year. Dedication is a good word because we had some slackers last year.

"I thought we would be pretty good (this year), but not as good as we are. We have more people who wanted to be here."

West Ashley coach Stephen Jackson said another key is getting more year-round travel players involved in the program.

"I have more quality players on the field," he said. "In the past, I've had a couple of quality players and the rest were rec players. This is the first year I've had nearly everyone play classic or select level soccer in the offseason."

From the players' perspective, Johnson and Pennekamp are impressed with the freshmen who have joined the team.

"Some of them are better than the guys who have been here," Johnson said.

"They've all been playing together since U-10," Pennekamp said. "I think next year we'll be a lot better."

Freshmen Robbie Owens and Trey Hilton start, with Owens in goal for the Wildcats.

Sophomore Robert Wright leads the team with 10 goals and three assists. Foreign exchange student Victor Olsson has five goals and eight assists.

With a lot of young players on the team, West Ashley has a good chance of sustaining its success, but getting strong representation from the area's club players will be a key.

"It's hard to maintain in high school unless you have your own feeder system," Jackson said. "We have a lot of kids going to Academic Magnet or who choose to go to Bishop England. The next few years, we could do well, but the key is to keep getting the kids in."

Reach Bill Henley at 937-5595 or bhenley@postandcourier.com.