Hide Article Text (OCR)
InexperiencedRIC GALLAGHER Staff WriterAlthough this will be Randie Mantovani’s third year as head coach of Lumberton Senior High’s soccer team, he’s starting over in terms of experience with his 1988 Pirate squad that debuts Monday against Terry Sanford in the Westover Tournament in Fayetteville at 6 p.m.The defending Southeastern 4-A Conference champions, says Mantovani, will be hard-pressed to match last year’s 13-4-1 record as only one starter returns from a team that lost in the opening round of the state 4-A playoffs, 1-0 to E.E. Smith, in a double-overtime, shoot-out battle.Mantovani, who coached the Pirates to a 23-8-3 record his first two seasons, sees the ’88 campaign as a rebuilding process that will ultimately result in putting Lumberton back on top again in the future.“We have a very fast, but inexpierenced team all over the field,” said Mantovani. “Right now, our biggest problem is on defense where the younger guys need to learn where to position themselves on the field. That will come with time. We play 22 matches. I expect us to be pretty solid by the end of the year, and with only one senior and some very good ninth graders coming up in the system, we’ll be healthy for a few years.’ ’Mantovani will rely on overall team speed andleadership from the three most experienced players — senior Scott Gardner, and juniors Keith Johnson and Phillip Davis — to compensate for a lack of depth and experience.The loss of 10 starters has resulted in a re-shuffling of underclassmen to new position to fill those holes.LHS booters make debut Monday in Westover tourneyJunior Mike Williamson replaces Willie Anderson, one of the conference’s top players the past two seasons, at goalkeeper. Williamson, who attended the Number-One Goalkeeper’s School at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, started his first game ever in a pre-season scrimmage with Pine Forest.“Mike is the only goalie we’re carrying,” said Mantovani. “He doesn’t have a lot of experience, but does have potential. We got some good reports from the goalkeeper’s school. He will be solid after three or four games.”Sophomore Murphy Averitt, a goalie last year, has been shifted to center fullback and will direct the defense. Averitt will be joined in the defense by junior Scott Williams, who moves to left fullback from forward. Both Averitt and Williams are fleet-footed defenders who can play the game in any direction.The Pirates are looking to fill the void left at right fullback caused by an injury to sophomore Tommy Stevens. Steve Killian, a junior, will start at sweeper with Mark Stacy converting to a forward.Gardner, the team’s lone senior, and perhaps the best soccer player ever produced in Lumberton, according to Mantovani, spearheads the midfield.Gardner, who played forward last year, was one of 20 players selected for the Puma Junior National squad that may tour Brazil in December. The team wasselected from a group of 300 high school players from across the country.Gardner will be flanked by sophomore B.J. Sweeney at right halfback and freshman Brad Whitfield at left halfback. Sweeney is a good ballhandler while Whitfield, who moves well without the ball, has been a pleasant surprise for Mantovani.Across the frontline, Johnson, a junior, will man the center-forward spot with Davis playing the left wing and sophomore Mark Stacy right win.Keith JohnsonTo man center-forward spotPhil DavisWill play left wingAdding depth to the team are juniors Chip Reising, Billy Windley, Heath Sealey and Philip Sufner, sophomores Heath Wilkins, Tim Williams, Chris O’Brien, Jonathan Rozier and John Locklear along with freshmen Duane Powell, William Hill, Mike Monday and Tanner Holland,Mantovani says Scotland Pinecrest loom as the strongest contenders in the Southeastern Conference.“I believe the two strongest teams in the conference will be Scotland County and Pinecrest,” said Mantovani. “We will battle Lee County for third place and Richmond County will occupy the basement. Overall, we think we will play .500 this year. We figure we’ll finish up somewhere around 11-11, and with a few breaks, we may do a little better than that. It all depends on when and how fast the boys m ature into solid players.”
Newspaper Details
Robesonian
Lumberton, North Carolina, US
Sun, Aug 21, 1988
Page 32
Full Page
Clipped by
Boyd S.
NA, NA 14 Jan 2021
Other Publications Near Lumberton, North Carolina
Lumberton Robeson Bi Weekly
Lumberton Robeson Weekly
Robesonian
Lumberton Robesonian Mid Weekly
Lumberton Robesonian
