Togetherness is important to Don Whitman.
After a season in which the Heritage Academy girls soccer team didn’t lose a senior to graduation, Whitman hopes the experience the Patriots gained from playing together will pay off this year.
With eight weeks in the preseason to build that chemistry, Heritage Academy will kick off the 2015 season at 4 p.m. today when it plays host to Indianola Academy at the downtown Columbus Soccer Complex.
“They have come together as a good core,” Whitman said. “They have been playing together for a while, so I think that will be one of our strengths. With all of the girls returning, I hope we are able to build on some of the momentum we had last year. Even though we did not have a lot of wins, they worked hard.”
Heritage Academy won only four games under head coach Joe Asadi. Whitman, who served as an assistant coach last season, takes over as head coach. Morgan Dentry and Jonathan Tuggle will serve as assistant coaches.
Whitman, whose daughter, Abby, is one of six seniors on the team, believed the 2014 team had potential. He feels the addition of senior transfers Mary Acker, who will be eligible to play in September, and Kaitlin Russell will add to the team’s experience and depth. Leah Boiardi, Anna LeBrun, and Lauren Pole round out the senior class. In all, Heritage Academy has 21 players, which Whitman said is the most the team has had in several years.
Whitman, who has helped coach soccer at Heritage Academy as a parent for the past seven years, hopes to rely on his experience as a coach in park league soccer and in travel soccer. He believes the amount of time he has known the girls will help strengthen the bonds on the team and help it realize its potential.
Heritage Academy also should benefit from the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools reclassification. In adding a fourth classification for football, the MAIS’ reclassification resulted in Heritage Academy and Starkville Academy moving from Division I (larger schools) to Division II (smaller schools). Whitman feels the move will enable Heritage Academy to play more schools of similar size. He said the Patriots were one of the smallest schools playing in Division I.
To make the most of the opportunity, Whitman said the Patriots will need to find a way to score goals. Last season, he said the team struggled to score, so he hopes a strong defense that will feature captains Whitman and LeBrun as well as Boiardi will provide the stability the team can count on.
Whitman feels the team has the players to score goals. He expects to try to accomplish that goal in a two-forward system. Last year, the team often used one forward in an effort to try to contain their opponents.
With more experience, depth, and togetherness, Whitman hopes Heritage Academy will be able to put the ball in the back of the net with more frequency.
“I think they’re prepared and I think they’re going to do well,” Whitman said. “We will have to wait and see how we do.”
Hannah Britt, Anna Hairston, Gracie Plant, and Kat Sykes round out the junior class. Nichole Dishongh and Haley Marie Fisackerly are the only sophomores on the team, while Anna Acker and Haley Barker are the only freshmen. The team has seven middle schools players who will compete for playing time.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.