Following its first winning season and first playoff win in a decade, the Cassville boys soccer team is entering a new era.
Led this season by six seniors and eight returning starters, the Wildcats have set their goals higher than ever.
“[Last season] felt like the beginning of a new era for us,” Forste said. “We have slowly improved in my eight seasons, and now these boys have their sights set on 15 wins and a few playoff victories. If we continue working hard and stay relatively healthy, I think the ceiling for this group is very high.”
The Wildcats are off on the right foot, going 2-1 at the Cassville Kickoff Classic and defeating New Covenant Academy 4-0 on Saturday to take first place in the tournament.
Returners include seniors Malachi Vincent, goalkeeper; Andrew Gray, defender; Fernando Alonso, defender; Jackson Lindley, defender; Jackson Ray, midfielder; and Ashton Wheeler, forward; and sophomores Caden Rohde, forward, and Diego Haros, midfielder.
Ray and Wheeler led the offense last season, with the midfielder contributing 5 goals and 10 assists, and the forward turning in 12 goals and 7 assists.
“Those two have continued their ascension in the offseason and are primed for outstanding seasons,” Forste said. “Malachi allowed a paltry 1.25 goals against between the sticks last year across eight starts, and I think a sub 1.00 GAA is a possibility for him this fall.”
Rhode, with 7 goals as a freshman, will widen the attack for Cassville, and two new freshmen, David Rehbach and Christian Burgos, add some depth.
“David and Christian are both very gifted with fundamentals and technicality, and have been outstanding club players in the U15 division,” Forste said. “Also in the mix up top is senior Justin Case (6’3, 220), who brings a different element in terms of his physicality.”
In the midfield, Ray is joined by Haros, who had a goal and an assist last season, and another freshman will join the rotation.
“Diego Ibarra will round out our midfield three,” Forste said. “This was an area of strength last year, and I anticipate it will be once again in 2023. Diego in the midfield has been excellent this summer. He was working his way back from an injury last year, and we had to work him in pretty slowly. Now 100 poercent healthy, I think he is capable of playing at an All-Conference level.”
On the back line, Gray, Alonso and Lindley provide the experience, with three freshmen and a sophomore battling for the remaining spot.
“Andrew and Fernando have been anchoring our defense in summer league and have made big strides — both in terms of changing positions and with their leadership responsibilities,” Forste said. “We may start as many as five freshmen this fall, all of whom have done a phenomenal job working their way into the team this summer “Freshmen Hugh Thao, Zeb Blankenship and Noah Driskill, as well as sophomore Cody Peterson, are battling for a starting spot on the back line. In terms of depth, our defense is the deepest unit, with a good mix of youth and senior leadership.”
Minding the net, Vincent replaces a former All-State goalkeeper Peter Littlefield, MSHSAA’s alltime leader in career saves across all class sizes with 933.
“While Malachi has some very big shoes to fill, he answered the bell last year with eight spot starts, as we moved Peter into the midfield during our playoff run,” Forste said. “‘Chi responded with a 1.25 goals against average and 3 shutouts. He played some phenomenal ball this summer and will be a team leader for us this fall.”
The Cassville boys soccer program has benefitted from the Seven Valleys Soccer Club in Cassville, with the second class of club players now set to graduate in the spring and the club continuing to turn out players with game experience.
“I think we have outstanding senior leadership, while also welcoming the deepest and most talented group of freshmen I’ve seen in my eight years at Cassville,” Forste said. “We have a lot of guys who just want to play soccer all day every day, and help the team any way they can. That is a great recipe for team success, and I anticipate we will build on last year’s winning season.”
Forste said the squad has lived and died in recent seasons by close games, and he does not expect much of a change in that regard.
“We saw a lot of 1-goal games last year, and will see a lot more of them this fall,” he said. “We have to excel in these types of matches. We let a few slip away last year (PK shootout losses to Monett and College Heights, a draw against NCA and a double-OT loss against NCA all come to mind). We were about .500 in these one-goal games last year, and I think we can improve upon that in 2023.”
A key to achieving that goal will be the team’s play style, which has transitioned in recent years to a more controlled, deliberate method.
“We’ve historically been defensive and counter-press oriented, but I anticipate we possess the ball the best we’ve done in a long time,” Forste said. “I hope to keep our strong defensive identity, while improving in possession and scoring at a high-level.”
