EXPERIENCED JACKSON SOCCER TEAM SEEKS ITS FIRST DISTRICT CROWN

Jackson, step right up.

Although Jackson High's boys soccer team is perennially strong, the Indians, who have never won a district title, have perhaps been overshadowed by the area's other two teams, Cape Girardeau Central and Notre Dame, in recent years.

This season Jackson has experience (10 seniors and seven juniors) it hasn't had the last few years and Central and Notre Dame have enjoyed recently.

But while Central and Notre Dame are apparently rebuilding (Central has five seniors and Notre Dame just one) neither can be forgotten.

The following is a look at how the three local teams stack up as the season opens this week:

Cape Central

Last year's area Class 4A district champion Tigers lost eight seniors to graduation -- and nearly all of the team's scoring went with them.

"Forty-two of our 52 goals were scored by people who graduated," Central coach Tom Doyle said.

But Central, which went 16-9-1 last season and won its fifth-straight district title, returns three first-team all-conference players who primarily played defense -- senior Josh Ferguson, junior Nathan Gibbar and sophomore Justin Shelby.

Obviously, Central will look to shut down opponents, rather than outscore them.

The Tigers return five seniors other than Ferguson -- Mike Stone, Brad Gaydos, Bryan Welker, Jason Wicks and Pat Dunham -- all of whom lettered last year. Doyle said Stone and junior Ben Higgins are big, strong players with good speed who must fit individual talent into a team game.

The remaining juniors are Keith Benton, Luke Fuemmler, Eric Henry, Justin McMullin and David Prasanphanich.

The other sophomores on the varsity squad are Andrew Christensen, Josh Miller, Michael Pickett and Eric Bennett and the freshmen are Chris Cole and Brett McNabb.

Central opens the season Tuesday at Jackson. The Tigers have beaten rival Jackson in the district championship the last three years.

Notre Dame

Despite a schedule loaded with much larger schools, coach Brad Wittenborn led his Bulldogs to a 19-7 mark last season and a school-record 22-2 record the year before.

With only one senior -- Jonathan LeGrand -- on this year's team, which lost eight starters (and most of last season's offense and team speed) to graduation and a couple players who would have started this year but left for various reasons, Wittenborn knows this season may be biggest challenge he's faced in the past few success-filled years.

"We're really very young and very inexperienced on the varsity level," said Wittenborn. "To match the last few seasons would be a lofty goal."

Like Central, Notre Dame will probably rely on its defense, although the Bulldogs lost standout goal keeper Trent Summers, a four-year starter, to graduation. Junior Colin Vandergraf will get his first varsity action this year in goal.

Wittenborn said sophomore Oliver Sander, who moved here from Germany a few years ago and has played club soccer in St. Louis, will be the team's best all-around player. Junior Zach Miller is the squad's top returning goal scorer, and Ryan Fenwick and Rob Cuba, both juniors, received a lot of playing time last year.

Also expecting to see considerable action this year are juniors Mark Buehrle, Jason Garner and Zach LeGrand and sophomores Cory Elfrink, Wesley Steele, Bryan Glosemeyer and Tommy Wencewicz.

Notre Dame will begin the season in its Soccerfest, which starts Thursday.

Jackson

With abundant experience (10 seniors and seven juniors) and years of playing together culminating this season, coach Bonnie Knowlan believes that her Indians can do things they've never done before this year -- namely, the district title.

"We've been young the last few years," said Knowlan. "This is the first team up to age. The guys have played together since they were 12 or 13 and they work very well together.

Jackson went 13-6 last year and lost to Central in the district championship game for the third consecutive season.

Leading the returnees are junior Nathan Windeknecht, the team's leading returning goal scorer, and seniors Jeremy Balsman, the starting goal keeper, and Zane McClard. Each earned all-conference honors last year.

The other seniors are Garrett Knowlan, James Scaggs, David Diebold, Chris Schuette, Eric Rhodes, Frank Miller, Brandon Blattel and Robbie Hrabik.

The remaining juniors are Chris Kohm, Spencer Knowlan, Michael Schemel, Paul Johns, Bryan Schmid, and Ben Turner. Freshman Raju Dirnberger will also play on the varsity squad.

Jackson opens the season Tuesday at home against Central.