Are you ready for some soccer?
Coats takes over reins of soccer program
By GEORGIA PURDY Newsboy Correspondent

Newsboy photo/Georgia Purdy THE 2008 JASPER VARSITY SOCCER squad are, bottom row, left to right, John Castillo, Dylan Riggins, Antonio Renteria, Oscar Lopez, Juan Mijares, David Beck, Affan Zafar. Second row, left to right, Josue Cervantes, Michael Navarette, Ernesto Medrano, Christian Navarro, Ernesto Navarro, Christian Villasana, David Cleveland-Hadley, Zak Dowell. Back row, left to right, assistant coach Jake Smith, Chris Guadian, Cody Martin, Parker Stover,Alan Grindstaff, Ernesto Navarro, Zach Riggins, Ossama Zafar, Anthony Martinez, Liam O'Flaherty, Kaleb Burrows, Issac Grindstaff, Head Coach Chris Coats.

Soccer begins this week and the Jasper boys' team had a successful scrimmage last week, defeating Hamshire-Fannett 5-1. They are coached by Chris Coats with Jake Smith, assistant.

Coats is a 1995 Jasper High School graduate, who first attended Henderson State University in Arkansas on a football scholarship. He left there before finishing school and did a four-year stint in the US Marine Corp. He earned his bachelors degree from Texas A&M Commerce.

Newsboy photo/Willis Webb JASPER'S LIAM O'FLAHERTY works the ball upfield against a Hamshire-Fannett defender during last week's scrimmage. Jasper won the scimmage as the Bulldogs prepared for the beginning of the season this week.

"I took a couple of soccer courses in college and enjoyed it," Coats said. "I was lucky to have A&M girls' coach Neil Piper as my instructor. The girls' team was nationally recognized and also won the conference. I'm using Coach Piper's same drills and his approach to the game."

Coats said that he didn't have the opportunity to play soccer in high school and is fortunate to also have the support of his experienced players and Robbie Lovett.

"I met Robbie Lovett after I came here and have picked his brain for all he knows about soccer," Coats said. "He has loaned me books and has helped head me in the right direction. I also asked for an assistant and got Coach Jake Smith who is also a graduate of A&M, Commerce. He is a big help."

Jasper plays in a mixed district mixed of Class 4A and Class 3A schools. It has been a tough challenge for this team in the past, especially with Palestine, Nacogdoches, Jacksonville, and Livingston in the mix.

Newsboy photo/Georgia Purdy JASPER'S CHRISTIAN NAVARRO works the ball away from a H-F defender during last week's scrimmage.

There was a lot of enthusiasm last week at the Hamshire-Fannett scrimmage. The team seemed very upbeat and they played well together. While it will still be a struggle, they look like they can be competitive this year.

"The other teams in the district are pretty good," Coats said. "They have a soccer athletic period and have beat up on us for the past several years. I believe we will fare pretty well against them this year. We will definitely not be the Jasper team they are used to playing."

Following is a look at the starting line-up with comments from Coach Coats.

Zach Riggins, senior, midfielder: He's the nucleus of the team- the field general. When we're playing well, ball contact and movement forms around him. He's a good player, a leader, and his teammates respect him.

David Cleveland-Hadley, senior, wing: David's also a leader. He's calm and doesn't get rattled. He has good ball control, he's dependable and one of the fastest guys on the team.

Josue Cervantes, senior, wing: He plays opposite David Cleveland. He's also a leader with good ball control. He's a good shooter and always finds the right spot to be in.

Issac Grindstaff, senior, defensive player: He has just recovered from a football injury but has been helping coach some of the players. He's aggressive and leads by example.

Affan Zaffar, senior, defense: He's one of the emotional leaders of the team. He can get players' spirits up because he's very positive. He's dependable, aggressive, very fast, and always in the right place.

Ernesto Medrano, senior, forward: He's a quiet leader. He leads by example. He has great ball handling skills, he's a good passer, he's quick, and he's dependable.

.e's also an emotional leader and very positive. He's a great goalie but can also play any position, and he is the fastest guy on the team. "Quit" is not in his vocabulary.

Chris Guadian, senior, defense: Chris' fundamental skills are really good. He can dribble, pass and shoot. He can also play offense, if needed. He leads by example, is confident and aggressive.

Kaleb Burrows, senior, midfielder: Kaleb is a leader and always cool. He distributes the ball well, is a hard worker, and is an anchor on the team.

Alex Guadian, sophomore, defense: This is his second year on the team. He's very aggressive. He clears the ball out of the defensive half of the field very well. He's also a hard worker.

Ossama Zafar, sophomore, wing: He's a second year player and very aggressive. Ossama has decent fundamental skills and is a good shooter. But what he brings to the team is that he is leftfooted. He's also big and physical. He has a good personality and is very positive.

Antonio Renteria, freshman, forward: Antonio is very fast. He has good ball handling skills. He finds a way to get open and he is aggressive. He also has a good, positive attitude.

Jasper opened district last night against Hudson and will play Jacksonville on the road, Jan. 18. They return to Jasper Jan. 22 to play Palestine. Games begin at 6 p.m.