For the Zionsville boys soccer team, the expectations donât really change year after year.
So even after graduating a successful senior class that helped lead the Eagles to a 12-win season a year ago, the goals are still extremely high coming into the 2024 season.
âIt seems to happen every year here, we lose a great class, but another good group comes right behind,â Zionsville head coach Rob Jordan said. âThe expectations stay the same â we want to win conference, win every game and then win state. That is the goal every year, and these kids are capable of doing it.â
The Eagles have only been officially together for a little over a week, but they are already showing a lot of good things together.
âWe are excited and itâs been good to have them all back together,â Jordan said. âWe had some kids that did really well with their club teams and went to nationals, but they are all back and ready to go. What we are seeing, we are liking a lot. There is some great talent here, some great kids with great character.â
There is a good group back with varsity experience for the Eagles this fall.
Junior Arron Habecker was the Eaglesâ second leading scorer last year, and Carter McMahon, Jack Parr and Jackson Theobald all scored at least four goals.
Cole Cecil and Eli Nieshalla are others that have experience and have stepped into leadership roles.
âArron Habecker has done really well so far from a leadership standpoint, and Cole Cecil too,â Jordan said. âWe have a lot of kids who have stepped up. It is making for some interesting decisions for captains, but as a whole they are all pretty good.â
With that group back, along with some new faces, Jordan feels like the Eagles should have a strong attack again after scoring 2.5 goals a game last year.
âFrom what we are seeing, I feel like we are going to be able to score a lot of goals,â Jordan said. âWe are just working on how we are going to solidify on the back end and our formation. I think that you are really going to see a strong attacking team from us.â
Because of the way the club season structure has gone, the Eagles havenât solidified a formation or their back line quite yet.
They open the season with Carmel on Saturday, so they have about a week to get it sorted.
âIn the past, we have been able to get some more preliminary training in the summer and figured that out, but the club season is pushing further and further out,â Jordan said. âBut right now, a lot of it starts defensively for us on things we are working on. We want to get that worked out because I feel good about how we are possessing the ball and how we are in front of goal.â
Will Willems is the Sports Editor of the Lebanon Reporter. Follow him on Twitter @Will_Willems.