Missouri Military Academy soccer didn’t finish where it wanted last season but learned a lot.
The Colonels lost 3-1 to host Moberly in their first district game last season in the first …
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Missouri Military Academy soccer didn’t finish where it wanted last season but learned a lot.
The Colonels lost 3-1 to host Moberly in their first district game last season in the first campaign following their first state championship game appearance. There will be less experience from the state runner-up team, but there will be a good mix from all grade levels on the overall roster of 40 cadets.
Head coach Rodrigo Padilla said seniors Emiliano Martinez and Eric Shellabarger are returning captains and bring valuable experience from the state tournament team. Padilla said last year was an important year for growth to prepare the younger players for bigger roles this season.
“We have a good combination of experienced returners and younger players who are hungry for an opportunity to contribute,” Padilla said. “The team has shown a strong work ethic, and our returning players have done a good job helping set the standard for the younger cadets.”
Padilla said he hopes to see cadets step up and earn their roles on the team as practices continue. He said he wants to see “discipline, communication and consistency.”
“We need to play together as a team, trust one another and continue improving every day,” Padilla said. “If we stay focused, learn from our mistakes and compete with the right mentality for the full 80 minutes, I believe we will continue to make significant progress throughout the season.”
Last season, MMA had a hot start by winning five of its first six games. It scored at least eight goals in four of those games while recording shutouts in the process.
Padilla said there will be some work to do after graduating key players, including all-state leading scorer Fernando Puebla. The Colonels should focus on correcting mistakes and improving their overall game.
“I have high expectations for this team because I know our cadets are capable of great things,” Padilla said. “We will challenge them every day to reach their full potential, represent Missouri Military Academy the right way and compete at the highest level.”
