Starting out the season with a 3-0 loss to Logan on Wednesday may not have been exactly what the defending state champion Park City High School boys’ soccer team was hoping for, but it didn’t come as a total shock.
After all, the team had just barely begun practicing earlier in the week – just skill drills at the Basin Recreation Field House — before heading north to take on the Logan Grizzlies, a top 3A team.
“There was no way we could go against a team like that with no practice,” Park City head coach Caro Caro said.
It was a frustrating loss, but also an early wake-up call for Park City.
“They don’t want to lose that way,” Caro said.
But after being shut out by the Grizzlies, the Miners warmed up literally as they headed to the opposite end of the state and grabbed victories from Canyon View and Desert Hills over the weekend. On Friday they beat Canyon View 5-1 and, on Saturday, beat Desert Hills 3-1. Caro said that he wished he could have played Logan after the St. George trip, but the schedule wouldn’t allow it.
Caro will give the boys a new challenge this week with a game against 5A powerhouse Skyline and then round out the preseason with Ben Lomond on Monday.
Challenging the boys early on is all part of Caro’s plan to get his team prepared.
“Instead of words I choose tough teams to play,” he said.
As the reigning state champs and with a strong arsenal of starting playing, the Miners will need to be ready for everyone’s “A” game.
“Everyone wants to beat us,” Caro said. “There’s no break for us.”
To that end, he decided the Miners should see the toughest teams in the state right from the beginning so they can ready to roll by the time the regular season starts next week.
This will likely mean a handful of losses, but that’s something the Miners are willing to sacrifice if it helps them improve.
“I don’t need a perfect season,” Caro said.
He said that he hopes the boys will focus on themselves and figure out team chemistry. Many members of the team are year-round club players on different teams, so they have to mesh quickly when the prep season rolls around.
The Miners will be working with a starting roster that, minus the graduated Wes Uribe, is almost identical to last year’s star-studded team. Austen Stevens and Michael Glenn will handle most of the scoring at forward with Matt Vallejo, Adam Laufer and Alex Johnson shoring up the midfield. Multi-talented players Tommy Martin and Ben Portwood will handle the defensive duties, but Caro hopes to move both of them around a bit as needed. With most of his starters graduating after this season, he has also been trying to work a number of underclassman into varsity games, to ensure a smooth transition.
“I have a wonderful, talented team,” he said.
Caro expects it to take a little longer for the team to come together this year, but he is hoping that it will happen by Wednesday, March 18, when it opens the regular season against Region 10 rival Wasatch.
“As long as we’re ready for Wasatch, I’m happy,” Caro said.
The Miners will face Skyline on the road on Friday at 3:30 p.m.