A ‘Growing’ Program
DHS Boys Soccer Has ‘Most Ever’
When Coach Scotty Voight looked over the young men who came out for Denison High School soccer last month, he was smiling inside regardless of how he looked on the outside.
“We have the most ever kids in our program; 48 athletes,” said Voight. “That’s quite a bit of an increase from past years. We are planning to play JV-2 games this year; we have that many players.”
Larger high school soccer programs have so many players that each one can field three teams instead of the traditional varsity and junior varsity. For the first time, DHS will be one of those schools in soccer with its very own ‘Junior Varsity Two’ team.
According to Voight, there are 23 players on the varsity and 25 on JV, which will be split into two teams as the season progresses.
“These young men have a lot of potential; we have a talented freshman class,” explained Voight. “It’s important to keep them in the program and learning our system.”
Voight added that the 20 freshmen who attended the soccer try-outs on Nov. 29 is the largest class that DHS boy’s soccer has had in its 15 year history.
“They will have four years of DHS soccer,” he said. “The future looks bright.”
As for this season, which begins on Jan. 10, Voight is ‘excited’ about the team DHS will field in 2011. Denison will be in the same District 17-4A with five other schools as it was last season when the Jackets went 6-13-1.
Voight, who is in his 15th season as head coach, has decided to use intrasquad scrimmages this year to prepare the players for the matches to come.
“We want to get them used to the field, the lights, game speed and conditions,” said Voight of the scrimmages at Munson Stadium. “We always do three every year, but this year we are going to play at the stadium.”
In addition to the large freshman class, Voight is also pleased with the number of returning letterman for the Jackets.
“We have a lot of experience coming back,” he explained. “We only lost two starters to graduation. I think good things will happen.”
Leading the charge will be four year starter Collin Anderson and senior Jon Cazzelle.
“We have our entire back line returning,” said Voight. “And our goalies, Caleb Rice (sophomore) and Bo Hester (junior).”
The other returning players are Dalton Hestand, Alex Shock, Jorge Molina, Joseph Hefner, Jeremy Camp, Elijah Butler and Ryan Conrad. On the JV squad, Hayden Cottingame and Dalton Perkins are returning.
“With our experience, we will vie for a playoff spot this season,” predicted Voight. “There are some solid teams in our district, so it will be a challenge.”
In District 17-4A, along with Denison, there is Sherman, McKinney, McKinney North, Prosper and Little Elm. The top four advance to the UIL soccer playoffs in March.
“We believe we have a chance,” said Voight. “We have a good opportunity to make it. We beat Little Elm in a shoot out in the last match last season; and they were the district champs.”
The Yellow Jackets have only been to the playoffs twice in its history; in 2001 and 2008. The first playoff match was lost to Grapevine in the first round, 3-1, in 2001. In 2008, DHS won its first playoff match in its history by beating Canyon Randall, 3-1, for the bi-district crown, but lost (5-0) in the second round to El Paso Del Valle, which went on to become state champion.
But before all that talk of playoffs, the preseason and tournaments will come. The Jackets will play in its own annual tourney and also the North Richland Hills Tournament in late January. The Dr. Pepper Cup will be played Jan. 13-15 and include both boys and girls and varsity and junior varsity. According to Voight, some of the teams making the trip to Denison are Terrell, Rockwall, John Paul II and Amarillo Tascosa. Birdville will be the favorite at the North Richland Hills tournament.
“There will be solid competition at both tournaments. It will give us a great chance to learn, see things and get prepared for district play,” said Voight.
To get things started, there will be a scrimmage with Paris Jan. 4 and a full slate of matches beginning Jan. 10. Preseason matches include North Lamar, Gainesville, Burkburnett and Paris High School. District play begins Feb. 8 against McKinney North.
Voight will be assisted by first year assistant coach Stengel Parker, who is from Denison.
“We are going to pull it all together and gel as a team,” said Voight. “And I think good things will happen for us.”
DHS Boys Soccer Has ‘Most Ever’
When Coach Scotty Voight looked over the young men who came out for Denison High School soccer last month, he was smiling inside regardless of how he looked on the outside.
“We have the most ever kids in our program; 48 athletes,” said Voight. “That’s quite a bit of an increase from past years. We are planning to play JV-2 games this year; we have that many players.”
Larger high school soccer programs have so many players that each one can field three teams instead of the traditional varsity and junior varsity. For the first time, DHS will be one of those schools in soccer with its very own ‘Junior Varsity Two’ team.
According to Voight, there are 23 players on the varsity and 25 on JV, which will be split into two teams as the season progresses.
“These young men have a lot of potential; we have a talented freshman class,” explained Voight. “It’s important to keep them in the program and learning our system.”
Voight added that the 20 freshmen who attended the soccer try-outs on Nov. 29 is the largest class that DHS boy’s soccer has had in its 15 year history.
“They will have four years of DHS soccer,” he said. “The future looks bright.”
As for this season, which begins on Jan. 10, Voight is ‘excited’ about the team DHS will field in 2011. Denison will be in the same District 17-4A with five other schools as it was last season when the Jackets went 6-13-1.
Voight, who is in his 15th season as head coach, has decided to use intrasquad scrimmages this year to prepare the players for the matches to come.
“We want to get them used to the field, the lights, game speed and conditions,” said Voight of the scrimmages at Munson Stadium. “We always do three every year, but this year we are going to play at the stadium.”
In addition to the large freshman class, Voight is also pleased with the number of returning letterman for the Jackets.
“We have a lot of experience coming back,” he explained. “We only lost two starters to graduation. I think good things will happen.”
Leading the charge will be four year starter Collin Anderson and senior Jon Cazzelle.
“We have our entire back line returning,” said Voight. “And our goalies, Caleb Rice (sophomore) and Bo Hester (junior).”
The other returning players are Dalton Hestand, Alex Shock, Jorge Molina, Joseph Hefner, Jeremy Camp, Elijah Butler and Ryan Conrad. On the JV squad, Hayden Cottingame and Dalton Perkins are returning.
“With our experience, we will vie for a playoff spot this season,” predicted Voight. “There are some solid teams in our district, so it will be a challenge.”
In District 17-4A, along with Denison, there is Sherman, McKinney, McKinney North, Prosper and Little Elm. The top four advance to the UIL soccer playoffs in March.
“We believe we have a chance,” said Voight. “We have a good opportunity to make it. We beat Little Elm in a shoot out in the last match last season; and they were the district champs.”
The Yellow Jackets have only been to the playoffs twice in its history; in 2001 and 2008. The first playoff match was lost to Grapevine in the first round, 3-1, in 2001. In 2008, DHS won its first playoff match in its history by beating Canyon Randall, 3-1, for the bi-district crown, but lost (5-0) in the second round to El Paso Del Valle, which went on to become state champion.
But before all that talk of playoffs, the preseason and tournaments will come. The Jackets will play in its own annual tourney and also the North Richland Hills Tournament in late January. The Dr. Pepper Cup will be played Jan. 13-15 and include both boys and girls and varsity and junior varsity. According to Voight, some of the teams making the trip to Denison are Terrell, Rockwall, John Paul II and Amarillo Tascosa. Birdville will be the favorite at the North Richland Hills tournament.
“There will be solid competition at both tournaments. It will give us a great chance to learn, see things and get prepared for district play,” said Voight.
To get things started, there will be a scrimmage with Paris Jan. 4 and a full slate of matches beginning Jan. 10. Preseason matches include North Lamar, Gainesville, Burkburnett and Paris High School. District play begins Feb. 8 against McKinney North.
Voight will be assisted by first year assistant coach Stengel Parker, who is from Denison.
“We are going to pull it all together and gel as a team,” said Voight. “And I think good things will happen for us.”
