The offseason is typically a time to focus on getting better.
That’s a little bit of a problem when you played in the last game you could possibly manage.
Polk County’s run to the 3A state soccer championship match a year ago might have seemed like a lightning-in-a-bottle experience. It wasn’t. It was the culmination of a steady progression of improvement that paid off.
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Now, though, a talented group of seniors is gone, and the Wolverines are building to take another shot with a group that includes a number of players who had key roles in last year’s Western Regional championship run. The challenge, according to Polk County coach George Alley, is going to be in putting it all together.
“As you know, everything’s optional in the offseason,” Alley said. “So we did a little weight training in the spring, but we mostly train skills and play. I let them play a good bit in the summer, because they don’t get a lot of opportunity in their lives to have some stress-free play. But the best part about the summer is probably the younger kids. They come out in droves, and you really get a chance to develop your future.”
While those young players get a head start on training, Alley has used the offseason to start developing a little depth.
“Hopefully we’ll arrive at the first game a little fitter,” he said. “If we played tomorrow, I’m on about a 12-man rotation.”
While Polk County will miss the departed seniors, there are a bunch of proven guys back who are responsible for some big expectations.
“Certainly Tallis (Metcalf),” Alley said. “He’s probably our backbone, our senior captain. He’s a fairly complete player: smooth offensively, deceptive, and he plays hard defensively. And he’s left-footed, which is certainly big.
“Brennan Oates just has world class speed. Right at the moment when he sees the goal he doesn’t care who’s between them, he’s just ready to tear heats and go, so we’re figuring that out, but he’s very dangerous in the attack and can finish with either foot.”
Another returner who’s showed the potential to be dangerous is Ross Dow, who was a key player down the stretch last season.
“Hopefully we can leave him in the back and give him some space to get in on the outside,” Alley said. “But he’s also played some in that midfield three.”
Alley also has high hopes for Luke Garrison.
“He’s my sleeper this year,” Alley said. “He got our only goal last night (in a scrimmage at Enka) with his head. And he just crushes it in practice. He rips shots and scores, so we just need to calm him down just a little bit.”
One of the things that the Wolverines will miss this season is some of the chaos provided by East-West All-Star Cooper Meyer. Alley said Oates might be able to provide some of that spark as well.
“Cooper kind of knew he could do it, and when to do it, and when to sneak up on people,” Alley said. “Brennan could be that guy because of his work rate. But he spends a lot of energy trying to get forward.”
The Meyer family will continue to have a big impact on the program, though. Foster is showing promise on JV, while Grayson has worked his way into the spot vacated by Will Garrison on varsity, playing alongside David Alvarez.
“He’s doing great,” Alley said of Meyer. “He’s making really good decisions, both defensively and passing the ball.
The Wolverines are also strong at the back of the lineup with senior goalkeeper Charlie Wagoner.
“I think he went the entire season last year not giving up a soft goal,” Alley said. “He’s just been really solid, and that’s a great place to start.”
Alley knows that a return run to the state title game is a high expectation. Still, he said, deep into the playoffs is where the Wolverines want to be.
“You know, I’d love to go about .750,” he said. “I’m not sure what that exact number is, 14-6 or 15-8. And the first two years we went to the third round, and last year our actual goal was to get to the fourth round. You don’t want to set it too high. But I’d love to get to at least the fourth round. And we want to figure it out over the course of the season, where our strengths are and where our weaknesses are, and can you flip that around and make it work.”
