With families transferring on and off post at Fort Campbell, new faces on the athletic teams at Fort Campbell High School are nothing new. And, this year, a new, but yet familiar face will be on the sideline leading the Falcon soccer team in 2023.
After a year away from the program, Alex Romero is back coaching the Falcons as the new season gets underway. Romero coached the Falcons from 2013-2017 and again in the 2022 season.
One of the challenges at Fort Campbell each year, in addition to filling the slots of graduating seniors, is dealing with losses due to military transfers, and again this year the Falcons will have to deal with some of their up-and-coming players from last season no longer being available for the program.
On top of the departures and transfers, the Falcons are also dealing with an emergency surgery to their expected starting goalie.
As for names to look for this season. Romero points to striker Dylan McDonald, lead defender Chase Cribbett, and center-mids Jason Tate, Ryan Brewer, and Mateo Cerritos.
Cerritos saw action in 12 matches last season, finishing with one goal and two assists. McDonald also played in 12 matches in 2022, finishing with two goals and two assists.
Cribbett played in 13 contests, scoring one goal and providing one assist. Tate and Brewer both saw action in at least ten matches, each had one assist on the season.
In addition to goalie, the Falcons have the challenge of replacing Aidan Blaszkowski, who scored 16 of the Falcons 34 goals on the season and had six assists.
The Falcons will be looking for consistency on both sides of the ball in 2023, as they had their ups-and-downs both on offense and defense in 2022.
Romero says that one of the things that he is looking forward to is to see how well the team will play together.
In addition to their district matchups, the Falcons’ schedule includes UHA, Lyon County, Trigg County, Todd County Central, and Madisonville-North Hopkins.
The Falcons are set to open the season Tuesday on the road at Lyon County.
