Patriots Travel To Face Challenging Cleveland VASJ | News, Sports, Jobs

Picture by Kristin Mazgaj
Wheeling Park operating again Zac Lydick runs in opposition to St. Clairsville.

GATES MILLS, Oh. — Wheeling Park might be seeking to begin the 2022 soccer season 3-0 Friday evening when coach Chris Daugherty’s Patriots journey to Gilmour Academy for a battle with a tricky Villa Angela-St. Joseph squad, which is sitting at 2-1 on the season however hasn’t allowed a degree since a season-opening loss.

Daugherty’s Purple, White and Blue opened the season with a victory over St. Clairsville earlier than dropping Pittsburgh metropolis faculty Brashear, 42-12, final week at Wheeling Island Stadium. In the meantime, coach Jeff Rotsky’s Vikings opened with a 34-3 defeat by the hands of 2021 Division III state finalist Badin earlier than outscoring their final two opponents by a mixed 99-0 margin. Final week was a 49-0 conquer Youngstown East.

VASJ has moved as much as Division III this season as effectively and entered the marketing campaign with a youthful squad consisting of solely eight seniors, however a whopping 40 sophomores on the roster.

The Vikings have a pair of high-quality operating backs together with sophomore Lamar “Bo” Jackson, who already has affords from Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Kentucky. He’s joined within the backfield by junior Amani Powell. Rotsky has a pair of quarterbacks that might see motion in senior Kayin Cooper or sophomore Kylan Steuball with junior Andre Spinks the highest receiving menace.

Defensive lineman Domnic Kinks can also be thought of a Division I prospect for VASJ.

“They’re a very good, well-coached soccer group that made the Ohio playoffs a season in the past and anticipate to be again there once more this yr,” Daugherty stated. “I believe it will be very fascinating to see how we match-up in opposition to them. They’ve a terrific operating again and like to run the soccer. He’s a Division I recruit, and he actually seems to be the half, regardless that he’s solely a sophomore.

“We all know they’ll run quite a lot of energy with outdoors zones and we’re going to need to be bodily with them, not just a bit, however for a very long time, to achieve success.”

The Patriots had been really out-gained by the Bulls every week in the past however a big-play offense and a defensive effort that included a pair of interceptions and two safeties made the distinction. Park additionally had a kickoff return for a landing on the evening.

Quarterback Brett Phillips leads the offensive assault and has hit a powerful 24 of 37 passes for 323 yards and 4 touchdowns via two video games and added 41 yards and a rating on the bottom final week. Sophomore speedster Jerrae Hawkins has 9 catches for 170 yards and three scores, two of these coming final week from 15 and 37 yards away.

Will James is one other receiving menace with 5 grabs for 43 yards and a rating. Zac Lydick leads the bottom assault with 22 totes for 210 yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots had been really pressured to punt on their preliminary two possessions final week earlier than rattling off touchdowns the next 5 instances they touched the soccer.

“We now have big-play capabilities from so many alternative children,” Daugherty talked about. “It’s only a matter of determining how groups are going to play us week-in and week-out. It would take us some time to determine issues out some weeks, however we really feel like there are such a lot of completely different children we are able to flip to when we have to make a giant play.”

By means of two video games Wheeling Park has outscored its opponents by an 84-26 margin.

“I actually can’t say sufficient about our protection proper now,” Daugherty added. “We knew we had been shedding some good linebackers and a security, and I truthfully wasn’t constructive what we had been going to appear like on that facet of the ball coming in. However I’m so comfortable about the place we’re proper now, particularly our means to cease the run the primary two weeks.

“However there isn’t a query we might be examined extra this week than we had been the primary two. It’s the first time we now have needed to journey this yr, and that is going to be the most effective group we now have performed up to now. They’re quick and bodily, and they need to be capable to match our velocity. We’ll simply need to see the way it performs out, it could possibly be one thing that makes us a significantly better soccer group relying on how issues play out.”