Meet the Railers 2019 Soccer Team

[August 22, 2019] 

Fans flocked to Handlin Field Wednesday night to meet the 2019 Railers Boys Soccer Team. Twenty-eight boys were introduced ahead of a scrimmage that featured both Varsity and Junior Varsity squads taking the field.

Just prior to the scrimmage, senior Payton Lanning took the microphone and led the team in singing "Happy Birthday" to Head Coach Tim Stuckey, who celebrated a birthday on August 15th.

The team also gave Stuckey a present that featured his favorites, a case of Coca-Cola and a big pack of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Stuckey is entering his 15th season as the LCHS soccer coach. His team this year has a lot of depth and he's looking forward to seeing the guys take the field.

"Last year we went 13-14, so we were one game under .500 but we were pretty young," said Stuckey. "We were starting as many as four freshman in Varsity for a lot of those games. We graduated six seniors and typically four of them started. So we returned the majority of our starters, since you start eleven in soccer. Most of the top guys off the bench are back, so we do return more experience than normal. This year we are hopeful it will be a decent season, if everyone is healthy. If something happened to a few of our key players then it would drastically change things, as in any sport. I've told the guys that last year I would play 14 or 15 guys for the most part. This year we're probably looking to go 18 or 20 deep.

"We have a huge Varsity roster. We have 28 guys on it right now. Come postseason time we can only dress 25 so if they're all healthy we won't be able to take them all to regionals and they know that. But for now we dressed all the juniors and seniors and then any freshman or sophomore who we thought could actually play in the Varsity game and make an impact, we dressed them as well. That's how we ended up with a huge roster.

"Instead of cutting anybody at the beginning we've given them the chance for the whole season to show us what they do when we throw them in and we'll go from there.

"We will go deeper than normal on the bench, which I feel like will help us. I have a tendency as a coach to leave our studs in, maybe in the whole game with no break. There's three or four guys who don't come off the field unless they ask for it. If we're deep enough and I can get those guys who are even in the best shape, if we can get them a break each half for five minutes maybe ten, they'll be better for it. We have a tendency to think that even our most athletic teenagers can go, go, go but if we can give them a break, we'll be a stronger team and we are deeper than normal. Hopefully it'll be a fun season."

Stuckey's assistant coach is no stranger to soccer. Donnie Bowman, who is entering his second season as the LCHS assistant coach, has been coaching Lincoln FC since 2011. Bowman also has 20 years experience coaching sports at all levels, from junior high to high school and even college.

ROSTER

Head Coach: Tim Stuckey,
Assistant Coach: Donnie Bowman, Trainer: Missy Anderson

Roster: Garrett Slack, John Grover, Ashton Bottles, Drew Bowman, Zane Hartman, Noah Stuckey, Brady Crane, Cadge Kingsley, Jalen Franz, Levi Mourning, Austin Erb, Jaden Klopp, Eyon Golden, Luke Morrow, AJ Beard, Christopher Slack, Jake Bivin, Ethan Bivin, Derek Vermeire, Jace McIntosh, Caleb Jackson, Will Messner, Austin Sanders, Isaiah Wahab, Chance Anderson, Kendrick Sisk, Ethan Brassfield and Payton Lanning

The Railers will open the 2019 soccer season at Williamsville on Monday, August 26, 2019. The Varsity will kick off at 4:30 p.m. with the JV to follow.

Good luck, Railers!

[Teena Lowery]