From our weekly issue dated September 08, 2010
A Jamboree at U.S. Cellular Park in Medford on Friday, Sept. 3 gave the Illinois Valley High School boys varsity soccer team a preview of its upcoming season.
Coach Gary Enoch said that some members of his squad had been hampered by injury prior to the Jamboree, which was hosted by Phoenix High School. The Cougars squad was at 70 percent, Enoch said, as one senior starter was unable to attend and another had not been cleared to play by his doctor. Also, Enoch said, the team’s leading scorer is still recovering from an ankle injury.
The Cougar’s first Jamboree game pitted them against Eagle Point, which is in the 5-A Conference. This is Illinois Valley’s first year in the 3-A Conference, as declining enrollment caused its drop from 4-A.
Eagle Point won 3-0. The Cougars lost their second game 2-0 to former Skyline Conference rivals Hidden Valley, and dropped their third game 1-0 against the Henley Hornets.
“It seemed like we got progressively better as the day went along,” Enoch said.
Fortunately, none of the games count towards the team’s season or conference records.
The Cougars’ first league game will be Sept. 28 at Umpqua Valley Christian School. Its first official game is a non-conference contest Thursday, Sept. 9 at Del Norte in Northern California.
“That will allow us to try some things without anything at stake, in terms of our conference standing and a shot at a playoff spot,” Enoch said.
Enoch said that the competition that the Cougars will face in non-league play will be “pretty stiff,” but that ultimately will prepare the squad for the rest of the season.
“They’re all larger schools,” Enoch said. “It will prepare us well for the league that we’re in.”
Among Illinois Valley’s new conference rivals, Enoch said he expects St. Mary’s, Creswell and Rogue River to be very formidable. Despite that, Enoch said the Cougars should be competitive this year.
In preparation for the Del Norte game, Enoch said he will focus his team’s efforts on conditioning.
“The guys are going to have to work harder,” Enoch said.
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