2010 High School Coaching Thread!

[Dom_Wren]

Gloves and polo-necks in SC? A very disappointing development!

Mate it has been BALTIC here lately, weve already had 3 bouts of snow!

Glad I cancelled my planned trip to Charlotte then

I live 20 mins south of Charlotte, good night out and nice city. Pm me if you need any help!

Pretty cool article on the Younger of the two 'superstar' brothers that i have been coaching for the past umpteen years (my record is actually 101-9 ):

Northwestern’s A. Martinez commits to High Point

By Barry Byers - bbyers@heraldonline.com The land of opportunity has been good to the Martinez brothers, Alex and Enzo.

Their family moved to the United States 10 years ago from Uruguay and the siblings have made the most of their chances for a better life.

Both are soccer stars and are forever linked to one of the best high school teams locally and nationally in their sport, Northwestern. The Trojans were 24-0, won the Region 3-AAAA title last season, won the Class AAAA state championship and were voted No. 1 nationally by ESPNRise and the U.S. Soccer Coaches Association Web sites.

Enzo signed a full scholarship with North Carolina after ending his career last year with a state-record 182 goals. Alex, a senior all-state player for the Trojans, cast his future with High Point of the Big South Conference on Monday morning.

“I’m excited about this and feel good about signing because now I can concentrate on my senior season,’’ Alex said. “There were other good offers, but High Point was my choice because they offered a full ride.

“It will be exciting to play in the Big South. I’ll be able to come back home and play against Winthrop in front of my family and friends. The coach said I’ll start next year if I perform. That’s what I plan to do.’’

Alex had not put up numbers like his brother’s. He has 44 career goals and 49 assists for 137 points. But he’s played on teams that were loaded with scorers and has gained the reputation as one of the state’s top defenders. This year’s team includes another pair of big scorers, Ricky Garbanzo and Dennis Moore, but Alex will get his points and will again be a physical player.

Northwestern coach Dom Wren is three-for-four wining state championships since becoming coach five seasons ago and is 98-8. Wren said with Alex signing, it’s around 30 scholarships for his players.

“We don’t give away anything around here,’’ Wren said. “What our players get is earned. Alex has earned his scholarship because we demand so much. I know he will make the best of it.’’

Alex said Wren has had a “big’’ influence in his life. Wren learned Monday that Alex plans to follow in his footsteps. He plans to major in physical education and coach high school soccer after college, same as Wren on both counts.

“He is more than a coach to me,’’ Alex said. “Coach Wren is like a father to me. He helped my not only in soccer but in decisions I have to make. I can always go to him.

“The people in this room, Coach Wren, Mr. and Mrs. (David Benson), Mr. Ahl (an assistant principal at Northwestern) and my mom, Mariela Beltran and my sister, Lucia Martinez, have been there to support me. And Enzo, I can’t say enough about him. He’s made me a better player. He not just a good player. He’s a good person ... a good brother.’’

Barry Byers 329-4099

http://tinyurl.com/y9ll8gn

[rjw63]

What's with the pointy-head haircuts?

[Dom_Wren]

What's with the pointy-head haircuts?

Chicks dig it

[Dom_Wren]

Two pics below of Rob's fav Dennis Moore

Trojans fend off South Pointe

Alex Martinez scores twice in Northwestern’s 5-2 victory

By Mac Banks - Herald correspondent It was harder than it looked, but the Northwestern Trojans boys’ soccer team outlasted South Pointe High 5-2 at District Three Stadium on Monday night.

The Trojans (5-1-0) were led by junior forward Ricky Garbanzo and senior midfielder Alex Martinez, with two goals each.

Northwestern entered the game having outscored its opponents by an average of 6-1. The Trojans, ranked third in the state, lost 3-1 to top-ranked Irmo on Sunday at the Lake Murray Challenge. The loss snapped a 36-game winning streak dating to the 2008 season and gave Irmo some revenge for a 3-1 defeat in last year’s state final.

Andy Burriss/aburriss@heraldonline.com - Northwestern’s Dennis Moore lifts his leg to gain control of the ball as South Pointe’s Logan Ard closes in Monday at District Three Stadium.

CLICK FOR MORE PHOTOS

So making it back home to start another streak was something the Trojans had on their minds. It just wasn’t as easy as they had hoped.

“A lot of credit has to go to South Pointe,” said Trojans head coach Dom Wren. “They never quit.”

Northwestern came out and scored early on Garbanzo’s goal within the first minute of the game.

South Pointe (2-3-0) didn’t appear intimidated by the defending state champions. The Stallions tied the game at 1 at the 15-minute, 20-second mark when junior midfielder Landon Ard scored the first of his two goals.

Northwestern controlled the ball for most of the first half after the tying goal. A little shocked by the goal, the Trojans came back and struck with quick back-to-back goals.

At 19:50, senior forward Ryan Foster scored with an assist coming from junior Jacob Alverez. Just 70 seconds later, Martinez scored with the help of senior forward Dennis Moore for a 3-1 Northwestern lead.

With less than two minutes to go in the first half, Ard struck again on a free kick to make it 3-2 at the break.

South Pointe head coach John Arevalo said he felt good about how his team played in the opening half.

“I told them to keep the intensity up and keep bring it,” Arevalo said. “The boys came to play. They played well. We gave them a good run.”

In the second half, the two teams battled for the advantage, but neither seemed to gain the upper hand. Finally after just over 20 minutes of play, the Trojans got some breathing room when Martinez scored his second goal at 62:20. Garbanzo had the assist that helped put his team up 4-2.

Northwestern capped the scoring three minutes later when Garbanzo scored his second goal on a penalty kick at 65:50.

South Pointe goalie Alex Shahin had three saves.

Northwestern’s goalies had five saves, with three coming from junior Sam Faris and two from junior Tyler Gross.

“I’m proud of the way out guys didn’t quit,” Wren said.

NORTHWESTERN 5, SOUTH POINTE 2

N – Ricky Garbanzo 1:00

SP – Landon Ard 15:20

N – Ryan Foster (from Jacob Alverez) 19:50

N – Alex Martinez (from Dennis Moore) 21:00

SP – Ard 38:30

N – Martinez (from Garbanzo) 62:20

N – Garbanzo 65:50

Shots on goal – Northwestern 12, South Pointe 9. Saves – Northwestern 5 (Sam Faris 3, Tyler Gross 2), South Pointe 3 (Alex Shahin).

Records – Northwestern 5-1-0, South Pointe 2-3-0.

Read more: http://www.heraldonline.com/2010/03/16/2020106/trojans-fend-off-south-pointe.html#ixzz0iMS4cbs7

http://tinyurl.com/yl5gxr5

Captain Alex MArtinez's Blog from ESPNRISE.com

Introducing Alex Martinez

ESPN RISE Blogger 0 Likes

Northwestern is off to a hot start. Photo By: Didier Nobels

03/01/10 - My name is Alex Martinez, and I'm a senior at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, S.C. I'm from Montevideo, Uruguay. I'm 5-7 and 145 pounds. I'm a high school national champion and also a USYSA national champion.

I play high school soccer during the spring. As always, we have three major goals as a team: to win a region championship, to win upperstate championship and to win a state championship. We're looking forward to the great competition we get when we play the teams in the state. Our expectations this year are to accomplish all three goals and hopefully make our own history this year as we grow as a team and as a family that we are.

Northwestern tastes defeat

ESPN RISE Blogger 0 Likes

Alex Martinez and Northwestern hope to see Irmo in the state tournament. Photo By: Didier Nobels

03/08/10 - It was great starting our season and playing real games that will count for our record. We were ready to play in the Lake Murray Challenge Tournament this past weekend beacause we been practicing for a long time.

It was exciting to see the younger players step up. In the semifinals we played Darlington Academy from Georgia. We knew we would have to step it up another gear this game beacause they had just gotten through beating Irmo hours before, so we knew they were going to be really good. We came out strong that game and got a great victory by a score of 6-2.

On Sunday we played Irmo in the final and sad to say we didn't come out to play up to our potential. We ended up losing 3-1 to a great Irmo team. It wasn't good losing, but losing that early in the season is better than on May 22nd. We are going to learn from Sunday's game as a team, and we are going to work harder than we have from now until May 22nd.

http://tinyurl.com/ylxd88o

[TheWalletInspector]

"Coach Wren is like a father to me."

Awwwwwww.

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

Ooooo inches away from a coma that lad!

[Dom_Wren]

Interview @ 1:51

http://tinyurl.com/ylzu46r

[snowychap]

Ooh, Nicole.

[leviramsey]

Thank you Golden Eagles for shitting the bed

[rjw63]

Denis Moore should have a lupin on his shirt

[Dom_Wren]

Thank you Golden Eagles for shitting the bed

rocket polisher!

:winkold:

[Dom_Wren]

Were 2/3 of the way thru a pretty tough week this week. Played Tuesday vs a scrappy and physical York team, beat them 4-1. Pulled starting XI off at half time when it was 4-0 in preperation for a big derby on Weds Vs Fort Mill (report and pics below). Were 8-1 on the year and 2-0 in the region. Got the 3rd derby of the week on Saturday against the big inter city school rival Rock Hill.

Trojans keep kicking, Bearcats still swinging

Penalty kicks the difference in Northwestern's win over Fort Mill

By Barry Byers - bbyers@heraldonline.com FORT MILL -- Northwestern's 4-2 win over Fort Mill on Wednesday produced the type of goals that normally aren't seen.

The No. 3-ranked Trojans got three penalty kick shots from 12 yards out and made all three. Each time it was one-on-one, Northwestern's Ricardo Garbanzo against Fort Mill goalie Harrison Cahill. Fort Mill also had a penalty shot, a goal by Jack Gantzer that cut the Trojans' lead to one.

"I thought all of the penalty shots were the right decisions by the referees,'' Northwestern coach Dom Wren said. "You usually don't see that many in a game, but the level of combinations we play in the box and moving the ball quickly when we get there can end up with PKs.

Melissa Cherry/mcherry@heraldonline.com - Fort Mill's Taylor Short, bottom, and Northwestern's Cody Parks go after the ball at Fort Mill on Wednesday.

CLICK FOR MORE PHOTOS

"This is a great rivalry, one with two good teams playing the right way. Fort Mill played a great game. It's good to have two teams of this caliber in our region.''

Thoughts of an upset crept into the minds of the Fort Mill fans and the buzz grew louder after the Yellow Jackets took a 1-0 lead midway through the first half. But the buzz turned to groans after Garbanzo nailed his first penalty shot and tied the game at 1-1.

There have been close games between the two local powerhouses for years. The last time Fort Mill beat Northwestern was in another close game, 1-0, in 2006. This one gets packed away as another classic; another close one that Fort Mill let slip away.

"I agreed with ever penalty call but one,'' Fort Mill coach Lloyd Chalker said. "It is what it is and you can't do much about it.

"We seem to always come out a little tentative against Northwestern. I told our guys before the game that we could win. We missed two shots in the first half that would have put us up 3-nill. I believe our kids realize now that we can compete with Northwestern.''

Northwestern (7-1 overall and 2-0 in Region 3-AAAA) wasted little time in starting its breakaway from the Yellow Jackets coming out of the intermission. Dennis Moore controlled the ball and dribbled straight at Fort Mill's goal.

Moore pulled up about 20 yards from the goal and fired a shot toward the net. The ball blazed past Yellow Jackets goalie Cahill, and the Trojans led 2-1 a minute and two seconds into the final 40 minutes.

It appeared the Trojans were primed for another of their signature runs with 26:18 remaining. Garbanzo was fouled and his penalty kick from 12 yards out found the back of the net for a 3-1 Northwestern lead.

But less than a minute later, Northwestern fouled and set up a Fort Mill penalty kick by Gantzer. He lofted his kick and the ball was still airborne when it crashed into the right corner of the net. His goal cut the score to 3-2.

Garbanzo was fouled inside the box again with 14:32 left and made his third PK of the game, his 10th of the season.

"I never expected to score on three penalty kicks,'' Garbanzo said. "I figured the scoring would come the normal way. I seem to get caught up inside the box and get fouled a lot. Then it's up to me to make them kick.''

Defense ruled the opening half. Most of the first 20 minutes could be found on Fort Mill's side of the field. But every time the Trojans got close a Yellow Jackets defender stepped forward and made another stop.

Nearly halfway in the first 40 minutes, Fort Mill (6-1-1 and 1-1) put the first point on the board. Blanked by two Northwestern defenders, Fort Mill's Corbin Payne kept control of the ball after an assist from David Walas.

He fought off the challenge, slowed his pace and lifted a pooch shot over the defenders and over the head of Northwestern goalie Sam Faris, who was unable to reach the ball before it settled into the back right corner of the net.

Fort Mill had two scoring opportunities that missed the net, one early and another late in the half. Both shots were off the foot of Michael Borer. Ten minutes in, Borer had a shot from the left side that had the look of a sure goal, but the ball bounced off the frame.

Later in the half, Borer had a straight shot on net, but he didn't put enough zip on the ball and it slowly rolled into Faris' hands at the 7:16 mark.

It's never wise to let up even a second on the Trojans and their first goal came with 4:10 left in the half. Garbanzo set up for a penalty kick from 12 yards out. The shot was set up because Cahill fouled Garbanzo in the box.

Garbanzo's kick was close to the ground, but escaped Cahill's grasp and tied the game at 1-1. It stayed that way until the half.

"We had to regroup at the half,'' Wren said. "I told them we had to go back out and execute on our technical aspects. We had to find more opportunities to turn Fort Mill defenders' backs toward their own goal.''

NORTHWESTERN 4

FORT MILL 2

First half

FM - Corbin Payne, 22:37, assist (David Walas)

NH - Ricardo Garbanzo PK, 4:10

Second half

NH - Dennis Moore, 8:58, unassisted

NH - Garbanzo PK, 27:06

FM - Jack Gantzer PK, 25:30

NH - Garbanzo PK, 14:30

Shots on goal -- Northwestern 13, Fort Mill 8

Corner kicks -- Northwestern 4, Fort Mill 1

Goalies -- Northwestern: Sam Faris (2 saves); Fort Mill: Harrison Cahill (3 saves).

Records: Northwestern 7-1, 2-0 Region 3-AAAA, Fort Mill 6-1-1, 1-1 Region 3-AAA

Barry Byers 329-4099

Read more: http://www.heraldonline.com/2010/03/25/2043245/trojans-keep-kicking-bearcats.html#ixzz0jBtnbHxq

[rjw63]

Four penalties????

Your guy who got the hat trick ought to be dubbed "Stan The Wham"

[Dom_Wren]

Four penalties????

Your guy who got the hat trick ought to be dubbed "Stan The Wham"

I know mate, the ref said he hadnt given one all year, truth be told they could have had another one as well!

Slotted the penos has Ricky, each one a different way. Well pleased with there effort, gave them a day off. So im off to Hooters after work

[Anthony]

Well pleased with there effort, gave them a day off. So im off to Hooters after work

You're so giving, Coach Wren.

[rjw63]

Well pleased with there effort, gave them a day off. So im off to Hooters after work

You're so giving, Coach Wren.

You can tell he's not an English teacher though

[leviramsey]

You would think that they'd want an Englishman to be the English teacher, though.

[Dom_Wren]

playing Saturday as part of the Manchester cup, heres two articles.

Area players excited about homecoming

By Karl Lyles - klyles@heraldonline.com Referring to the two Saturday matches in the Manchester Cup as road games is a bit of a stretch for six College of Charleston men's soccer players. The Cougars signed a half-dozen members off the 2009 national champion DSC Green Team that used Manchester Meadows as its practice field.

Robbie Benson, Shawn Ferguson, Tyler Vukoder, Franny Twohig, Geordi Khoury and Ralphie Lundy will all return to the fields they've trained on so many times on Saturday afternoon. They were part of the Discoveries U18 Boys team that won the National Championship in Massachusetts last summer with a 2-1 victory over Javanon (Kentucky).

Now, nine months later, they return.

Benson, a 2009 Northwestern High graduate, said he hasn't been on the Manchester fields since his Discoveries team practiced there for nationals.

"I definitely miss playing in Rock Hill," he said.

College of Charleston already has played a demanding spring schedule with a match against the MLS's Real Salt Lake and the USL's Charleston Battery. In May, the team will take a two-week trip to Italy.

"This will be just as big a challenge for us," Benson said. "We still have to get up to the same height and attitude as we did for our other spring games."

Ferguson is also a Northwestern product. He started all 21 games for CofC in 2009.

"I've been looking to these games all spring. I can't wait to see my friends and family again," Ferguson said.

"I get to come home, and my high school is playing in the same tournament. ... I can't wait to get back on the turf."

Tyler Vukoder also will return. He lives in Tega Cay and went to Fort Mill High School. Benson, Ferguson and Vukoder are defenders and should play important roles for the Cougars the next three years.

Three other DSC Green Team alums play for CofC: Twohig, Khoury and Lundy.

Lundy has family in York County. His grandparents, Lettie and Gene Knight, live in York; and his aunt and uncle, Gene and Penny Knight, live in Rock Hill.

"It's nice to go up there to familiar place," Lundy said. "Manchester is a comfortable place to play."

Dom Wren, the Northwestern boys' soccer coach, also coaches the Discoveries team. He said he stays in touch with his former players as much as their schedule allows.

"I'm excited to see those guys play at the next level," Wren said. "This weekend is a fantastic event for soccer fans in this area. (Winthrop) coach (Rich) Posipanko has done wonderful job putting this thing together. It's a celebration of soccer in the area."

The Cougars will play Kentucky at 1:45 p.m. in the first of two Manchester Cup matches and then face the host, Winthrop, in the 8:45 p.m. finale.

Karl Lyles 329-4032

Read more: http://www.heraldonline.com/2010/03/26/2046041/area-players-excited-about-homecoming.html#ixzz0jHtMeAFi

Men's soccer teams set to show their skills in Rock Hill

By Karl Lyles - klyles@heraldonline.com The fourth annual Manchester Cup, hosted by the Winthrop men's soccer program, will be played at the Manchester Meadows Soccer Complex on Saturday. The event is billed as the top College Soccer Showcase in the South.

Is it all hype, or is the tournament that good?

By all accounts the Manchester Cup is well-run, has a great format that ensures great competition, and it continues to grow.

Winthrop soccer coach Rich Posipanko and city of Rock Hill soccer programmer Richard Stutts started the event in 2007 with seven college teams, a USL squad and four high school teams. Posipanko has great relationships with college coaches and a desire to make the tournament a first-class event. Stutts takes care of operations at Manchester Meadows and is highly regarded among all involved.

The idea was to start something with specific criteria in place to aid in the selection of the participating college teams. To play, a team must either be ranked regionally or nationally, or have played in the NCAA College Cup in the two previous seasons. By holding to these standards, fans are assured of seeing quality teams and competition each year.

Saturday's field includes 10 collegiate teams: Charlotte, Clemson, College of Charleston, Davidson, Furman, Kentucky, Old Dominion, South Carolina, UNC Wilmington and Winthrop. UNC Wilmington finished the 2009 season ranked 18th by College Soccer News. The Seahawks beat Charlotte in the first round of the NCAA College Cup before falling to Wake Forest and they have nearly everyone back from that team.

"This is one of the top showcases in the country," Posipanko said. "Every game is close. We've only had one or two games with more than a two-goal differential."

A change was made last year to have four "local" high school teams. The first two events featured two local and two out-of-town high schools.

Northwestern, Fort Mill, Rock Hill and South Pointe are in this year. Rock Hill will take on Northwestern at 3:30 p.m. and at 4 p.m. Fort Mill and South Pointe will play.

Manchester Meadows was completed in 2006 and consists of 70 acres. There are eight soccer fields - two synthetic turf and six grass - all are lighted. Saturday's tournament games will be played on the turf fields named Brannan and Carlisle. The park also includes trails and a soccer pavilion.

"The tournament is excellent and the facility is excellent," College of Charleston coach Ralph Lundy said. His Cougars are one of six teams that have appeared in every Manchester Cup.

"For us, we have to have great competition in the spring. It is very important for the development of our young players," Lundy said. "We get two great matches in one day."

The tournament drew more than 3,000 fans in 2008, according to Posipanko. Last year, the tournament was hampered by rain. With sunny skies and temperatures expected in the mid-60s on Saturday, Posipanko anticipates 2,500 to 3,000 fans again.

Winthrop will face Davidson at 10:45 a.m. and then play the event's final match at 8:45 p.m. against College of Charleston.

Karl Lyles 329-4032

Read more: http://www.heraldonline.com/2010/03/26/2046044/mens-soccer-teams-set-to-show.html#ixzz0jHtjwyQi

[Dom_Wren]

Won the 3rd local derby of the week emphatically 9-2!

This would be the Villa Vs sha type derby.

Trojans stomp 'Cats in soccer

Martinez scores five goals to lead Northwestern

By Barry Byers - bbyers@heraldonline.com Cars were circling the two parking lots at Manchester Meadows Soccer Complex on Saturday, some as long as 20 minutes as their drivers hunted an open space.

Those who gave up and left, missed a goal by Rock Hill's Phillip Raad that put the Bearcats on top 1-0 against rival Northwestern.

The ones who were patient and found a seat in the packed stands, saw Trojans forward Alex Martinez punish the Bearcats with five goals in a 9-point run before he and the starters retired with 24:22 left in the game.

To be fair, all of those parked cars didn't belong to Northwestern and Rock Hill fans. Winthrop University soccer coach Rich Posipanko was hosting another version of the popular Manchester Cup. But it was noticeable there were plenty of open spaces after the Trojans finished off their 9-2 victory.

Martinez was on fire, but it was not a surprise since the Bearcats had to stop Dennis Moore, Ricardo Garbanzo and Ryan Foster.

"I realized we had to play hard because Rock Hill is our rival,'' Martinez said. "We know Rock Hill always comes to play and to beat them, we had to be at the top of our game.

"We couldn't go out and just play. We had to go out and play the best we can. It was a good win ... thought it might be much closer.''

Northwestern coach Dom Wren was again concerned that his No. 3-ranked Trojans got off to a slow start. but once the gates opened, his players put on a clinic.

Martinez scratched first at the 33:00 mark, drilling a goal on an assist from Moore. Martinez scored again nine minutes later, his second goal on an assist from Garbanzo.

And at a rapid pace, the Trojans (9-1-0) didn't let up.

Moore got on the board on assist from Martinez for a 3-0 lead. Martinez drilled in a goal from the left corner on an assist from Kevin Ray. With 2:03 left in the half, Foster reached the net after taking a pass from Jeremy Dobbins and the Trojans led 5-1 at the break.

"We lost our focus for a few minutes and that took us out of the game,'' Rock Hill coach Wayne Clark said after his team fell to 4-4-0.

"We felt we could play with them, but after they scored their second goal we fell apart. It got worse when they scored just before the half.''

The Trojans didn't let up and resumed their onslaught early in the second half.

Foster scored just over two minutes in after getting an assist from Cody Parks. It was 6-1 at that point, and the Trojans kept rolling on their way to nine unanswered goals.

The seventh and eighth came from Martinez, who found the net two more times, the first on an assist from Ben Arson.

Garbanzo was next, taking a shot close in that bounced off Rock Hill goalie Blake Blasengame and trickled across the goal line. Wren then cleared his bench.

"This was a rivalry game, and Rock Hill gave us all we could take early in the game,'' Wren said. "They (Bearcats) are a lot better team than what we saw today. And we deserved to be down 1-0. No doubt about it from me.''

The Bearcats found some fight late in the game and picked up their second goal on a header by Michael Bobinski.

NORTHWESTERN 9, ROCK HILL 2

First half

RH -- Phillip Raad 36:00

NH -- Alex Martinez 33:01, Dennis Moore assist

NH -- Martinez 24:00, Ricardo Garbanzo assist

NH -- Moore 8:52, Martinez assist

NH -- Martinez 5:31, Kevin Ray assist

NH -- Ryan Foster 2:03, Jeremy Dobbins assist

Second half

NH -- Foster 37:52 ,Cody Parks assist

NH -- Martinez 32:04, Ben Arson assist

NH -- Martinez 30:03, Foster assist

NH -- Garbanzo 24:22

RH -- Michael Bobinski 3:02

Shots on goal -- Northwestern 23, Rock Hill 9

Corner kicks -- Northwestern 10, Rock Hill 2

Goalies -- Northwestern -- Sam Faris (4 saves); Rock Hill -- Blake Blasingame (6 saves).

Records -- Northwestern 9-1-0, Rock Hill 4-4-1

Read more: http://www.heraldonline.com/2010/03/28/2049385/trojans-stomp-cats.html#ixzz0jZIMyTS6

[stewiek2]

Trying out some new kit templates I've drawn up. So here you go Dom...