It’s almost like just starting over for the Caldwell County boys’ soccer team.
Graduation numbers hit double digits for the Tigers after last year’s 7-8-2 campaign.
Gone are 31 of Caldwell’s 35 goals from last year.
“It’s definitely a rebuilding year,” said Tiger head coach Tanner Reed, who begins his fifth year on the Caldwell sideline.
“It’s not just new players but new faces. There’s definitely going to be a learning curve as some of them get used to me and know what I expect.
“It’s tough when there are so many that are new,” Reed added. “You just have no foundation to rely on.”
Caldwell does have some experience in the back, starting with senior goalkeeper Corbin Nichols, who made 130 saves last season.
“That’s one thing for certain. We’ve got Corbin in the net,” said Reed.
The Tiger keeper has been a starter since his freshman season. And his twin brother, Timothy Nichols, has been in front of him on defense for almost as long.
The Nicholses account for all four returning goals from last year — Timothy scored three and Corbin had one.
“We do have some experience in the back,” said Reed.
“Timothy can be a sort of loose cannon sometimes but he’s such an excellent athlete. He cleans up a lot of stuff in front of the net. We just need him to focus more on soccer things and what he needs to do from a technical standpoint.
“Thankfully, his brother is back there to help him do that. Corbin has been a leader for us since he was a freshman. There’s a reason he was made captain as a sophomore. Everything Corbin does is positive. Those are just really good boys.”
Sophomore Sutton Ritchey would be a starter at center back but is out right now with a collarbone injury.
Sophomores Ben Jones and TreVaughn Copeland are probable starters in the back while senior Lane Morris and freshman Alex Noffsinger will also see action.
“Lane is a senior who started coming to work out with us over the summer,” said Reed. “He blended in right away and is eager to learn. You know he’s going to give you the best of his abilities.”
Up front, look for junior Deacon Carter and freshman Colson Mattocks will look to develop into consistent scoring threats.
Senior A.J. Padilla will try to bolster the offense in the middle.
“A.J. joined us at the end of his sophomore year and played a bit last year,” said Reed. “He’s one of our more technical players. He’s got good speed and his footwork is solid.”
Junior Chase Lantrip will see action at the midfield as could Jones and Noffsinger.
Junior Matthew Moll will likely play a defensive midfield role.
“Right now, on paper, we look like a 5-3-2 formation,” said Reed. “When we have all our pieces together we’ll be OK.”
One issue for the 2023 Tigers is depth. Caldwell will try to develop more players as the season progresses, but most of the starters may have to play a lot minutes.
“That’s one thing I’ve really harped on in the preseason is fitness,” said Reed. “That’s why we’ve put such an emphasis on conditioning in practice. We’ve done a lot of running.
“When it comes to subs, we may have people going in at different spots. It may not be your spot, but you need to go in and fill it. Everyone has to be a utility player sometimes.”
In the 7th District, Madisonville-North Hopkins continues to be a strong favorite.
“They’re very well coached and they’re very well organized,” said Reed, who noted that the Maroons just replace one talented graduating class with another one.
“They play at a high level and they play year-round,” said Reed. “Madisonville is probably the best team in the region this season.”
That means it will probably come down to Caldwell County and Hopkins County Central battling for the other 2nd Region tournament berth from this district.
“Hopkins Central is similar to us — they graduated a really good class,” noted the Tiger skipper. “As always, it’s just going to come down to who shows up and who wants it more.
“For us to compete, we’re going to have to have some youngsters step up and fill big roles for us. And it’s going to take leadership from the guys we have that have been in the program for a while.”
The Tigers open the regular season at home on Monday against Webster County.
