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Sports

Prep Soccer Preview: Whitfield Set to Defend State Championship

The Warriors won the Class 1 state title for the seventh time last season.

The boys soccer team started the 2010 season with four consecutive losses.

The Warriors finished with eight straight victories which culminated in a Class 1 state championship.

"We never make it our goal to win the state title," said Whitfield coach Bill Daues, who nevertheless has coached seven champions in his 22 years, including three of the last four. "If you make such a lofty goal you just set yourself up for disappointment. We just try to improve as the season goes on."

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That certainly happened last season as Whitfield won post-season games against Lutheran North (2-0), Bayless (3-2 in overtime), Kennedy (5-0) and Springfield Catholic (1-0 in the championship game).

"We had 14 seniors on last year's team and as a team we had a very high work ethic," Daues said.

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The Warriors, which finished 17-11-1 overall, were not an overpowering team as they scored just 44 goals and had no player score more than 10. The team does need to replace the 2010 Class 1 Offensive Player of the Year, Nick Doherty.

Only three regular players return from the state championship squad.

Seniors John Acker and Carter Desloge are returning as center backs. Acker started the entire season while Desloge got into the starting lineup late in the regular season and was a stalwart during the playoffs.

Junior forward Nick Tobias is the only other returning starter. He scored eight goals and had four assists as a sophomore.

Senior Tony Minorini will be the starting keeper. He played in a couple of games last year as the backup to Joe Esrock.

The rest of the lineup is going to be made of very young and inexperienced players as Daues plans to keep seven sophomores and a freshman.

"We could very well have five sophomores in the starting lineup," Daues said. "It is the youngest team I have had in over a decade so there are a lot of unknown factors.

"These guys are coming up from the junior varsity to the varsity where the action is faster and more intense. I feel we have a good group but the question and challenge will be how fast can we come along.

"I just want these guys to believe in the process and try to keep going on an upward spiral."

The Warriors begin their 2011 season at home Aug. 29 against St. Dominic.

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