LEWISBURG (WVDN) – The Greenbrier East Spartans soccer team hits the field this fall for another campaign under head coach Lucas Lemine.
Lemine, like football coach Ray Lee, puts out a quality product on the field and has developed a reputation for making the Spartans competitive every season.
This year, that should be no different.
The Spartans did lose some key players from last year’s squad. Gone are starters Matthew Cook, Jacob Hixenbaugh, Steven Martinez, Ian Tatgenhorst and Ian Hamilton. Utility player Evan Vogelsong, who played a key role off the bench, and Graham Clemons, the number two goalie are also gone.
“We’ve never asked players to fill the shoes of those before them, instead just continue to play their roles and make what we have work,” Lemine said.
The players returning will provide a solid nucleus to work with, including multi-year all-state selection, Adam Seams. Chase Mizia, Peter Furlong, Joe Cochran, Jason Ream, Drew Beverage, Ryan Wagner and Nicholas White also return with some experience.
And more will be moving up as well.
“We have a couple of guys who played a big role in junior varsity that are moving up to the varsity level in Carter Tolliver and Will Godby. Dawson Trusty is going to be a varsity starter who didn’t get much of any playing time last year due to an injury in our first scrimmage in 2021,” Lemine explained.
“Most folks around the state know Adam, Chase, and Cochran. Beverage is a lockdown defender and a player that quietly just goes about his business. Three juniors, Dawson, Peter, and Carter really all three need to have a big year, not in terms of numbers, but they all need to play regularly and play at a high level,” Lemine added.
The Spartans scrimmaged this past Saturday, Aug. 13, and even though the varsity lost, Lemine remains encouraged by the product he will put on that beautiful new field this year.
“We opened up yesterday in a scrimmage against Cabell Midland. The JV put in a very strong performance and won 2-1. Varsity is a work in progress. We moved kids around a lot and never really found a groove. We scored first but ultimately lost 2-1. This team is going to have its ups and downs but when we peak, we are going to be a very solid team,” Lemine said.
