When the 2024 boys soccer season kicks off, we will begin a new chapter, full of new storylines, many new faces and numerous returning names.
Can Smithville prove that last year wasn’t an isolated incident? Can anyone knock Norwayne, Central Christian or Hiland off the top spot among small schools? Is Wooster still playing at a completely different level than the other teams in the area?
These are just a few of the storylines leading us into the new year. With the season just getting started, we’re taking a look at the Generals and the Bobcats, as well as West Holmes and Chippewa – two programs that are being built up piece by piece.
Football preview boys: A team-by-team look at the Wayne/Holmes area
What the Wooster boys soccer program has accomplished over the past six years under coach JP Lytle has been nothing short of outstanding. They have developed a culture of competitiveness, determination, adaptability in the game and a will that simply won’t accept defeat, much of which can be attributed directly to Lytle himself. The result has been nine OHSAA playoff victories (15-23 overall) and two Ohio Cardinal Conference titles against the toughest competition in the Wayne/Holmes area.
“It’s super cool. All the guys who went through this and are here deserve credit for taking the time to make this happen,” Lytle said. “I’m just super proud to be part of the program with them.”
And how does it happen?
“There are multiple layers to this. We’ve started working a little more with the youth program and we do things year-round,” Lytle said. “First, more guys are playing multiple sports, they’re being put in different situations, learning from them and it shows in the fall.”
“We started working with the younger levels and put more emphasis on development than winning, learning how to win. Both of those things are super important at the younger levels and more important than ever. Sports, club ball, youth programs – everything was important. The youth want to support the high school guys, and the guys want to support the youth. They support all the other programs too, and if we do all the little things right, we’ll be fine. The community is fantastic.”
That culture has helped create an environment where standout players like Keegan Brown, Andrew Martinez, Joe Stoll, Aiden Strand-Fox, Nate Monastra, Drew Rader, Brendan French, Simon Schonfeld and others have been able to shine. That’s why the Generals have risen to the top of the regional rankings and have been considered the best in the area for the past few seasons. Even with elite players like Hiland, Central Christian and Norwayne, all of which are excellent programs in their own right, Wooster has found a way to stand out. That’s reflected in three consecutive district appearances after not being there since 2005 and their first regional appearance (2022) since 1988.
This year’s team is primed to continue that run as Calen Relle, Nicholas Morse, Michael Buchholz, Dominic Ebin and Jake Rickett lead this year’s squad. As in years past, the Blue and Gold will field at least the region’s top two players each night to continue that streak and help the program to its fourth district appearance and fourth regional appearance in program history.
“There’s always someone better and we always want to compete with the best,” Lytle said. “This year will be a little different, but still very exciting. We’ll have some new guys in the lineups, almost like a fresh start. New guys will step into roles where we’ve had some regulars in the past for multiple years.”
“The competition is getting bigger, the guys are playing more in the offseason, they want to improve, they work hard, they’re determined to be a team, they’re committed to the program, they have a team mentality and it’s great.”
Overcoming a tougher non-league schedule was crucial for Norwayne if it wanted to compete with the elite and succeed in Division II last year. This year, it will prove crucial as it drops down to Div. IV and will use that strength in a series of games to sharpen itself for the OHSAA playoffs.
“Last year we had a much tougher non-league schedule,” Bobcats coach Jake Zimmerly said. “It allowed us to see what we need to do and how we need to play to compete with some of the best teams in the state. This year we can take that experience and understand what we need to do when we play them again. We can use them as learning experiences to identify our weaknesses for the postseason, where we really want to be at our best.”
This fall, the Bobcats are returning several key players: Parker Metsker, Jon Graham, Conner Preattle and Cooper Ringle. Graham is the start of Norwayne’s career as he has developed into the team’s best player with outstanding foot skills. Metsker is lightning quick when he touches the ball with his foot, while Preattle and Ringle can both sink a shot at any time. It’s the breaking down of the fundamentals and the ability to control the pace of the game that has proven to be crucial for the ‘Cats in recent years.
“With the loss of six starters, we have some holes to fill,” Zimmerly said. “This year, we have guys who are stepping into those roles, and we have a good core group of players with college experience. One of the biggest factors in our success this year is going to be how they connect and play together. They have the skill set, and if they can stick together as a unit and play for each other, they’re going to be able to do good things.”
West Holmes looks to take a step forward this fall under the leadership of coach Josh Wengerd, who has a reputation as a rebuilding coach. Wengerd laid the foundation for the success of West Holmes’ girls soccer program before becoming the boys’ head coach. With his positive, optimistic and encouraging voice, he kept the team focused through some lean years before opening the door to regional play in 2011.
“I think consistency is the key to rebuilding a program,” Wengerd said. “Stability, expectations and consistency are all things that help turn a program around.”
“I wouldn’t say I have a talent for it. I’ve only done it once and it might have been a fluke. I had some really talented players in the early 2010s, I just couldn’t screw it up. I take the same approach now, just stay consistent with expectations, the way we coach and the things we work on. My assistant coaches are also key to turning a program around. I had Lindsey (Hunter) Beachy when I worked with the girls and now I have Steve Obrst and his wife Jill and the many people who work behind the scenes to grow soccer in our area.”
Now he’s dedicated to the boys soccer program. His calming voice to young players, some of whom haven’t seen much or any time on the field, will be crucial in this rebuilding process as he looks to build a program with fire and competitiveness, just as he did with the girls. Some of his key players will be Grant Obrst, who scored the most goals on the team last year, Jordan Gerber, who joined the team in the summer and continues to excel, and Jimmy Wengerd, who will look to set the pace on offense.
“Every year is different, but the goals we have set for this year are to improve in the win column like we did last year. We’re still a young team and at the end of the day, all I can ask is for the guys to have fun, learn some things and do their best.”
Another program in rebuilding is Chippewa, led by Michael Chmura, who has worked steadily over the past few years to rebuild this once-traditional program. It wasn’t long ago that they made districts in 2021, and the last time they appeared at regionals was in 2013. In fact, since 2018, when then-legendary coach Russ Coney stepped down, the Chipps have only made districts two of the last five years, after reaching ten straight through 2016.
“We talked about the history of the program and the years when Central (Christian) and we battled each other in districts seemingly every year,” Chmura said. “Many weren’t born yet or are young, so they have no memory of those days. What drives this team is they want to make their community proud. They see what the other programs at the school have accomplished, and they want that success and to be able to draw those big supportive crowds that they see from other teams.”
This year’s team has some experience back, most notably Alex Rodriguez, Luke Blaz, Corbin Gasser, Wyatt Riggenbach, Parker West and Ben Pierce. With the vast majority of their roster back, the Chipps will look to turn that experience into success this fall.
“Our team just needs to continue to progress,” Chmura added. “We have a good group of players coming up and some of them just need to gain some maturity and figure out how to be successful at this level. They want to win and so they’re going to continue to work all season to achieve that goal. It’s a motivated group.”
