The 2023 soccer season gets underway this week, and we asked local coaches what to expect from their teams this season. Here’s the preview for the Owensboro boys’ team.
The Red Devils begin their season at home against Apollo at 7 p.m. on August 10.
Owensboro finished last season with a record of 11-9-3 (3-6-0 9th District), falling to Daviess County in both the 9th District and 3rd Region championships. However, OHS will be missing two key players, Ryan Sovar and Dustin Payne, after they sustained season-ending injuries.
Here’s what 6th-year head coach Ryan Haley had to say about the upcoming season:
What are your expectations/goals for this year?
Our goal for this year is to make it to the 3rd Region Championship game and make a push to represent our region in the Sweet 16.
What will be the biggest challenges on the schedule?
The biggest challenges on our schedule this year start with our district opponents. The coaches in this district are all very good at doing their homework and getting their teams ready for district play. Other challenges that we will have to overcome are Calloway County, North and Central Hardin, Warren Central, Bowling Green, Madisonville, Henderson, Cooper, and West Jessamine, among others.
Who are your top returning players?
I believe we have several returning players with experience that are primed for big seasons. Sang Thang, Peter Saang, and Junior Rugama should be leading our attack. Defensively, I am excited about seniors Arlo Johnson and Miles Baur, and junior Romer Payne. All these guys are leaders and work very hard for us consistently. I am also very happy with our goalkeepers this season which include junior Landon Black and senior Alex Carpenter.
Who do you expect/need to step up?
We are deeper than we have been in a long time. Juniors Broderick Divine and Byaruhanga Mutabazi are two that come to mind that most likely will play huge roles this season. Junior Emmanual Liche is also going to turn some heads. Additionally, we have a very talented group of freshmen that I believe will create some noise and chatter throughout the district. On top of that, we have depth in juniors Kaden Youngman, Emile Banza, and Carver Kingsley; sophomore Connor Cundiff; and senior Robert Amsini.
What areas are you hoping to improve on this year?
The major thing that we are already doing better this year as opposed to years past is the competition for starting positions and field time. Penciled-in starters are realizing that they now have pressure to perform because the guys under them are hungry. This season, I feel we have that situation and that it will translate into a better defensive and offensive effort across the entire team.
