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Area squads to open seasons

Elkins and B-U begin campaigns Friday at home

The Inter-Mountain photo by Joey Kittle Elkins High School players go through a drill during Wednesday’s practice. The Tigers will open the regular season Friday at home against Petersburg.

ELKINS — Second-year Elkins High School boys soccer coach Michael Sfameni is pleased with the numbers on his roster this season.

“We had a couple of kids transfer, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when we started practice,” said Sfameni, a former standout for the Tigers. “But I’m very happy with the amount of players we have out.”

The Tigers went 10-7-2 in Sfameni’s first season at the helm, falling to Lewis County in the sectional title game.

“The key for us will be playing good fundamental soccer,” Sfameni said. “We have some talented players on the team. If we play the game the right way, we should be fine.”

Elkins must replace all-stater and all-Big 10 Conference second-team midfielder Jared Parsons, along with Ethan Sutton, who earned honorable mention all-conference honors.

The Inter-Mountain file photo Ryan Hurst, left, and Alek Seech return to lead Buckhannon-Upshur in 2018. The Bucs entertain Ripley Friday to begin the season.

Senior Ethan Wilson does return after receiving all-Big 10 honors in 2017.

Other senior players on the roster are Michael DiBacco, Chrisstopher Kiess, Levi Dilly, Liam Gongola, Greyson Howell and Abiel Gallagher-Reyes.

The Tigers will host Petersburg at 7:30 p.m. Friday to open the 2018 campaign.

Buckhannon-Upshur

TENNERTON – Buckhannon-Upshur must replace leading scorer Trevor Short, but several returnees are back to the fold.

The Bucs went 14-4-5 in 2017 under Mike Donato, entering his 10th season as head coach. They lost a heart-breaking decision to Wheeling Park in the regional final, 4-3 in PKs after the game was scoreless in regulation.

Short earned first-team honors on both the Class AAA all-state and all-Big 10 Conference squads.

Senior Alek Seech, a four-year standout, returns at the midfield and defender positions. Seech was a first-team all-Big 10 selection last season.

Dawson Carpenter is also back at midfield. Carpenter made all-Big 10 honorable-mention laurels as a sophomore.

The 20-player roster includes four seniors in Seech, midfielder-defender Cam Ware, goalkeeper-midfielder Coleman Shreve and midfielder Mark Burnside.

Three-year performer Logan Kelley is back at goalkeeper, while Ryan Hurst, who provided several goals as a freshman, returns at forward.

The Bucs open the season at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Ted Crites Alumni Field at Tom Hasbrouck Stadium against Ripley. They will remain home at 3 p.m. Saturday to face Princeton.

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