A 13-win season can’t be seen as unsuccessful for the Cassville boys soccer team, but a few key losses are overshadowing the double-digit win total.
Jake Forste, Cassville soccer coach, said being as competitive as the Wildcats were, even in losses, made for an exciting season.
“The thing that leaves a sour taste is losing to Monett — three times, all extremely close,” Forste said. “I think it’s hard not for everyone to feel a little disappointed.”
The Cubs have 22 straight wins over the Wildcats. The first meeting in Cassville this season was a 2-1 loss in overtime, and the Cubs beat the Wildcats 5-2 in Monett later in the season. Monett also knocked Cassville out of the Class 2, District 5 tournament, 5-3, in the opening round.
Forste said to get over the hump, Cassville it all comes down to execution.
“We just came up short,” he said. “Like, in the district game, we kind of wanted to play a low or mid block in the early going and then open the game up late. But, we gave up a goal in about five minutes, then we gave up another one shortly thereafter. When we pulled one back two minutes before halftime, we concede two more right before the half.
“It was just a devastating lack of focus I think, because the two goals right before halftime are what decided the game. If we don’t concede those two, I don’t have any doubt that we win because we pretty well dominated the second half. They got one more in against us, but we scored two, and then in the final seven minutes, we missed an open goal and we missed a breakaway one-on-one that we put right on the keeper. I really felt like it was a level match, but we just made too many mistakes. That was kind of the season in a nutshell, a talented team that worked hard but came up short.”
Any shadow lurking over this season can be fuel for the squad next season.
“There’s talent, and the guys care,” Forste said. “That’s really what they want to do is play soccer all day every day. Every day since the season ended, we’ve had about 10 guys having a juggle circle during their free period during eighth hour. It’s that kind of culture permeating through that’s as cool as it is to get multisport athletes and dual and sport athletes. The best teams among us are soccer-focused and it’s a sport that while I don’t force them, I strongly encourage people to play yearround it. It’s definitely a benefit when they do so.”
Though the games against the Cubs did not go Cassville’s way, there were many other moments of joy sprinkled throughout the season, including an especially significant win over Greenwood.
“Greenwood beat us 4-0 in their tournament, then when they came to Cassville two weeks later, we walked it off in double overtime. We were also down a man. So, playing short for 30 minutes, taking it to overtime and then winning, that was a pretty galvanizing experience for us.
“To play a team that that we wanted to see again because we didn’t play very good the first time around, then to have our backs against the wall, but to rally and then come back, I mean, those are the ones you kinda remember. That was a fun one.”
Cassville will lose a lone senior, Jaret Hinson, and starter Kaid Williams has moved out of state.
“Jaret is really the picture portrait of why you stick things out,” Forste said. “When he came as a freshman, I don’t know that he’d ever played soccer before, or if he did, it was not a lot. Jaret didn’t step on the varsity field his first two years. As a junior, he started contributing, and even as a senior, he started the season by coming off the bench. But, after about seven or eight games, he was locked in as a fulltime starter.
“So, I think just his career arc is really indicative of a kid who just put his head down and works every day. He set a great example for the younger guys because he’d been a guy who had no role or a limited role and then all of a sudden he has a fulltime role. But, he didn’t let whatever role he had affects his mindset, and he’s always coming prepared and just willing to do whatever it takes for the team. I think those guys are some of the best guys you can have around because they know kind of what everybody’s dealing with.”
With so few leaving, 8-9 of the starting lineup are set to return.
“First would be Diego Haros; he’s going to be a senior and he’ll return 24 goals and 12 assists,” Forste said. “We have David Rehbach, who played mostly on the right wing. He’ll be a junior next year and he had 12 goals and 17 assists.
“Then I would say that Zeb Blankenship looks like our our new bedrock for the defense. He really did have a phenomenal last 12 or 15 games after Kaid was concussed. He stepped into the center back position and we really never looked back. I think we had one game where I credited him with five saves just literally on the defensive goal line sweeping plays away. He was lights out.”
Citing wanting more time with his family, Forste has stepped down from the boys soccer head coach role, but he will remain as girls coach in the spring. He said when it comes to the Wildcats, he hopes the new manager will keep pushing the talented squad further and further each day.
“Try to meet these guys halfway,” he said. “We’ve got a talented bunch, but try not to let them get complacent. Keep them pushing because I think this group [of teams in our district] is pretty close. I mean you look at who won our district the last two years, Rogersville. Last year, they were undefeated, and we take them to double overtime this year. The first two Monett games, they won both and I think they only lead for a combined like 20 minutes. It was they score, we score, we score, they score, and it just feels like It’s kid of at a crossroads.
“Obviously, I’m leaving, and we’re losing a couple guys, but it just feels like we’re right there and it’s going to take grit and toughness more than anything. We have to learn to win and get better at grinding out these do-or-die games and really selling out for those conference and district games. It felt like we left a few of those on the table, even going back to our loss at McDonald County where we were up to in the first 5 minutes and we lost 3-2. Great composure focus, I think those are the things it’s going to take, and I think if those guys bring that every night it’ll be another successful season next year. The future is bright, and whoever steps in, they’re going to have a good core.”
