Huron boys, PC girls hope to make final leap in SBC Bay

Finishing runner-up in a high school league title race can often come down to one game. For Huron's boys and Port Clinton's girls, that's how the 2021 SBC Bay Division soccer races played out. For either of them, an additional victory against Oak Harbor would've meant at least a shared league championship. Instead, both spent the offseason well aware that, even in the midst of strong seasons, they had come up just a bit short. "That's the one we didn't get," Port Clinton coach Paco Romero said of the Oak Harbor matchup. "We're looking forward to that game." On the boys side, the Rockets went 6-2 to hold off 5-2-1 Huron and 5-2-1 Edison. In the girls Bay Division, Oak Harbor was a perfect 8-0, with PC at 6-2 having only lost twice to their Ottawa County rivals. Oak Harbor's boys and girls graduated four first-team and two second-team all-league choices apiece — including the girls program's second all-time leading scorer Hannah Schulte (103 goals) — and both teams have new head coaches for 2022. Ryan Lacer takes over for Renee Williamson on the girls side after Williamson led the Rockets to 19 consecutive winning seasons and 13 league championships, including the last three in the Bay. Lacer was most recently Oak Harbor's boys soccer head coach for two seasons. Former Rockets assistant Grant LaPeer takes over the boys team. Between the graduations and program shifts at Oak Harbor, the door in the Bay may have been left open for Huron's boys and Port Clinton's girls. The Tigers will be led by returning All-Ohio selection Conner Schaeffer, who will anchor Huron's defense yet again from his center back position. "Physically he's improved and he's gotten even faster, which is kind of scary, because he's one of the fastest kids I've ever had," Huron coach Matt Asher said. "His mentality, he's more vocal." Goalkeeper Will Parcher, who split time in 2021, will have full-time netminding duties this season in Huron. "Having Will Parcher back is tremendous," Asher said. "I know a lot of people lost their goalies and they're looking for goalies. I'm lucky enough that I had two great ones (including graduate Noah Manner) last year. Each got playing time. Will has improved a lot." The Tigers also have a relatively experienced midfield despite graduating 15 seniors from last fall's roster. Chris Heidl pulls the strings as the creative force, while Jackson Gray and Luke Rager handle the more defensive-minded duties and link-up play. "Jackson and Chris play on the same club team, so they're used to playing together," Asher said. "Luke is good friends with both of them. We have really good team chemistry, so that ball is moving around really well." The biggest key for Huron will be finding the back of the net consistently. Their forwards were a tandem at the JV level a season ago, giving them some familiarity. Cameron Manner and Charlie Norwell will need to adjust to the varsity level quickly to give Huron its best chance. The Tigers did show strong growth over the summer at a team camp in Findlay. "They did a good job scoring goals on the JV level," Asher said. "Obviously the varsity level is a different level. Once we figure out how to use our midfield behind us, I know a couple of goals at camp came from our midfielders moving up and taking longer shots." Huron's biggest opposition on the boys side may well again be Oak Harbor, even after the departures. Danny Tack is back in goal for the Rockets. Edison, like Huron, graduated 15 players and is very young under new head coach James Duffy. "I believe championships are built brick by brick," Duffy said. "There's a foundation, but it's gonna be a new group. It's really a new team." Port Clinton's boys return three strong attacking threats: Landon Witte, Noah Knecht and Christian Kolodziejczyk. PC also has Connor Earnest back in goal after he learned a lot taking on that role as a freshman last fall. "They're mentoring each other and are able to play in different positions as well," Romero said of his front three. "That's helped them out a lot, just so we can get them at the right place at the right time." Romero, who continues to coach both the boys and the girls at Port Clinton, has most of his attacking core back with the girls team, too. It's a group that felt unprecedented success in 2021 with its single-season wins record of 14 and a total of 87 goals as a team. Gladys Wiechman set PC's single-season assists record (17) as a sophomore and will take on even more creative duties with the graduation of Katerina Fillmore. "She's a hard worker," Romero said. "She's got a good mindset. I think as long as she continues to provide that on the field and show that on the field, she'll do fine." Wiechman will be joined in the attacking areas by returning players like Jade Mitchell, Morgan Delhees and Amelia Finn. Romero moved some of PC's firepower deeper into defense, where the Redskins graduated their back three. Gracie Rohrer, Makaila Webb and Morgan Woods will help fill those spots. "We have very versatile players," Romero said. "... Just communication and being at the right place at the right time. They're figuring that out right now. We've been working on that." Helping out the relatively new defenders is senior goalkeeper Olivia Perry. "She's been going through the (work) with the defense during practices," Romero said. The girls Bay Division will be heavy with competition. Vermilion returns first-team all-league selections Rose Sewall and Liv Penton, along with the majority of its starting lineup. Sailors coach Hannah Bartlome was already touting the experience of her squad during the spring. Edison was young last year and is bolstered by the addition of former Huron midfield standout Julie Willgrube. The Chargers have a new coach, Matt Fox, although he's familiar with Edison having spent two years as a boys assistant and two on the girls staff before that. The Chargers will rely on senior leadership from the back with Brianna Marcy in goal and her classmates Isabella Sanabria and Jillian McDonnell in front of her at center back. "I saw potential with the team," Fox said. "I just wanted to get them to their potential." Oak Harbor will likely still be in the picture late in the season, too, with the cupboard far from bare. Lily DeTray and Adriene Schiets will provide senior leadership for the Rockets. DeTray will be fully armed with confidence after scoring four goals in a district semifinal win over Toledo Central Catholic last fall. Also part of the attack will be sophomore Effie Schulte, Hannah's younger sister who played a key winger role as a freshman. "Our league is probably one of the strongest in the area by far," Romero said. "The Bay is the strongest in the SBC. We're ready to go. Everybody is gonna be good." But the beginning of the season is about hope, and it's easy to believe on both sides of SBC Bay Division soccer this fall. Heidl has been beating Asher to practice every day, honing his craft for what could be one or two critical moments that decide the league title. Port Clinton's girls worked out "relentlessly" over the summer, Romero said. The next couple months will determine whether extra steps like that can push last season's runners-up across the line first this time around.--- Returning All-SBC Bay boys soccer players Edison: Nick Strecker (2nd team); Langedan Leimeister-Day (honorable mention); Jonah Main (HM) Huron: Conner Schaeffer (1st); Chris Heidl (2nd); Jared Lenczyk (2nd) Oak Harbor: Danny Tack (HM) Old Fort: Shane Webb (HM); Myles Miller (HM); Quinn Barr (HM) Port Clinton: Landon Witte (2nd) Returning All-SBC Bay girls soccer players Edison: Julie Willgrube (2nd team; played at Huron last year); Haley Chaput (honorable mention); Alania Keegan (HM) Oak Harbor: Adriene Schiets (2nd team); Lily DeTray (2nd) Port Clinton: Jade Mitchell (1st); Olivia Perry (2nd); Gladys Wiechman (2nd); Gracie Rohrer (HM) Vermilion: Rose Sewall (1st); Livia Penton (1st); Abi Rhoades (HM); Summer Shirley (HM)