Cedars, September 2019

September 2019 12 SPORTS Yellow Jackets Aim High Despite Loss of Leadership by Tim Smith Cedarville Men Poised for Success Last season left the Yellow Jackets within one game of the G-MAC champion- ship, losing to Ohio Valley 2-1 in a semifinal match. Though the outcome was not what the team hoped, the 2018 season was posi- tive. The Jackets finished 11-6-2 overall and were ranked second going into the G-MAC tournament. The Jackets ranked fourth overall in goals scored (35) and had the sec- ond lowest amount of goals scored against (16). “We started off slow,” said head coach Brett Faro. “It took us about a month to come together. But last season turned into a great year for us.” Faro said he was proud of how the men finished the season, positioning themselves in prime placement for success. “The fact that we were in the position to win the regular season with one game left was great for our guys. We played re- ally well down the stretch and it showed,” Faro said. But it’s a new season, and the 2019 year will bring along its own successes and its own struggles. Replacing Core Leadership A huge factor in the Jackets’ success last year was their core senior leaders on the team. They were the ones that caused the team to mesh despite boasting a starting roster of primarily young players. Faro said that is something that needs to repeat if the men want to succeed this year. “A lot of our focus this offseason, with the loss of eight or nine senior leaders, was focusing on where guys need to be on the field, where the on-field leadership is going to come from,” Faro said. As he has seen so far, the new seniors appear to be taking the leadership roles and running with them. “We have a great group of five seniors this year, and they have done an awesome job of leading this team and setting the tone on the field,” Faro said. “Every day we learn more and more of what this team is going to look like and where each piece is going to fit.” Defense, Defense, Defense Along with team dynamics, the Jackets’ defense is a big focus of the team this year. “Coach Faro has put a lot of empha- sis on defense this preseason,” said soph- omore Sammy Kilimann. “We have really focused on putting in the extra effort on the field in order to make your teammate’s job easier.” Sophomore Jonny Stephens echoed this point, adding that each player has also focused on improving as an individual as well. “I want to make the most of each prac- tice so I can leave knowing I got better. As a team, we need to use our talents to push one another in training, and in everyday life so that we can strive to become better soccer players and men,” Stephens said. Championship on the Rise? On the soccer pitch, the team has one ultimate goal, and it is a common one among all sports teams: Win a national title. “We have the ability to do it,” Faro said. “We got close to the national tournament last year, and the beauty of a tourney is that anything can happen. So we keep working towards that goal every day.” Kilimann and Stephens agreed fully with their head coach. “We know we can compete with good teams and we’re hoping to win our confer- ence and make it to the NCAA national tour- nament,” said Stephens. “We want to go to the national tour- nament and perform well on the national stage,” Kilimann added. As important as championships are to these men, they all agreed that their soccer careers are focused on something this world cannot offer. “We all have the same goal in mind, but every now and again we need to give each other reminders of why we play,” Stephens said. “We play for Him. We want to use our gifts and abilities to glorify God.” Faro sees this goal as much greater than anything the win column can show. “I want these guys to not just improve as soccer players, but also mature as Godly men,” Faro said. “We must remember why we play: for the glory of God.” Tim Smith is a sophomore Biblical Studies major and staff writer for Cedars. He loves football, 3 Musketeers candy and primarily speaking in movie quotes. Photo by Scott Huck The Yellow Jackets enter the 2019 season looking to finish in the top of the G-MAC. Photo by Carrie Bergan The Yellow Jackets lose leadership but still eye national attention this season.