Defending District 11 boys soccer champion and state finalist Northwestern suffered some key losses, but the Tigers could be reloading, not rebuilding this season.

PALMERTONBOMBS AWAY... After qualifying for the District 11 playoffs for the first time in 15 seasons, the Blue Bombers lost only two key players from that squad that finished 5-11-2, and have plenty of reason for excitement in 2017. Seniors Bryce Beahm (Def.), Nate Taylor (Mid.), Ryan Yacone (GK), Jesse Dekorte (Mid.), and Jonathan Hillanbrand (Def.) are all back and looking to make an immediate impact.CHEMISTRY CLASS... Head coach Ryan Sharkazy is hoping his returning seniors will create chemistry with this year's newcomers. "Hopefully, we can translate that past chemistry into something special this season. At the same time, this group is going to need some time to play with new players in new positions to form a stronger chemistry this year," the sixth-year coach said.KEEP IT UP... Rio Kapur and Jake Taylor have graduated, and Sharkazy is hoping to maintain the level of success those players helped achieve last year. "Our goal is to better our win total from last season and to qualify for districts in consecutive seasons," Sharkazy said.PROGRESS NOTED... Like everyone, the Bombers are hoping to improve as the season moves along, lthough Sharkazy and assistant Rich Roselli believe their team has the potential to start out the season in a strong manner. Organization on the field, and adjustments to their opponents, are huge factors to determining their goals for success.NORTHERN LEHIGHOUTLOOK OPTIMISTIC... Jason Ruch begins his third season as Northern Lehigh's coach with plenty of reason for optimism, as only three starters graduated from last season's 3-15 team. Nick Miller, Dan Belmont and Tony Evangelist are the three graduates who will be missed.GETTING DEFENSIVE... Ruch, along with assistants Jeremy Battista and Henry Ojeda, are excited with their troop of returning defensive players. Junior Quinton Mack and classmate Chris Fine, along with senior Jerod Czarnecki, spearhead a quality crew of defenders with plenty of varsity experience.YOUTH APLENTY... Although the 'Dawgs' numbers are down with only 18 players on the roster and no JV team, nine of those 18 are freshmen, which could spell success for the program's future.BETTER AND BETTER... "Our goals for this season are really just to improve on a game-by-game basis," Ruch said. "So far, I have been impressed with the work ethic and attitude of the entire team, as well as the strong leadership from our upperclassmen."NORTHWESTERNTOUGH TO BEAT... Last year's Tigers were nearly perfect as they finished 24-1-1 on the season, won the Colonial League crown, the District 11 3A title, and finished as runner up in the PIAA State Tournament. Gone from that successful squad are seven starters, but hopes remain high.THE BAR IS SET... Head coach Nate Hunsicker is looking forward to the challenge of maintaining that level of success, and looks to his returnees and newcomers to make an immediate impact. Seniors Kenny Gawelko (For.), Andrew Goodolf (Mid.), Noah Meyers (Mid.), and juniors Caleb Danner (Def.), Sam Seyfried (Mid.) will return with plenty of experience.TITLES BREED TITLES... "Our goals are to continue to build off the success of the past few seasons," Hunsicker said. "We hope to defend our league and district titles, and hopefully make another run in the state tournament. We always take things one-game-at-a-time though, and don't want to get ahead of ourselves."HARD TO REPLACE... With seven of their starters having recently graduated, Hunsicker is looking to the newcomers to fill some of those holes. "The new faces jumping into our lineup have been great," the seventh-year coach said. "We graduated a lot of quality players who started three or four years for us. With them gone, we have other people jumping into those vacancies and doing a great job."PLEASANT VALLEYCOMING BACK... Despite the losses the Bears faced due to graduation, head coach Chris Pachuta is happy to have Brad Brickman, Kelvy Gomez, Zac Madeira and Ryan Prator all return to the lineup. Alex Wunder, Mark Kutteroff, Chris Lusto and Nick Hutta have all departed the roster, however, and have left gaps to be filled.MAKING AN IMPACT... The aforementioned gaps could be filled with several newcomers to the Bears' program. Juniors Timmy Covart (Def.), Logan Mackes (Mid.), along with seniors Malichai Jones (For.), Kyle Dooner (Mid.), Ryan Wolff (Mid.), and Jon Mickens (Mid.) are looking to make an impression.BIG GOALS... After an 11-8 campaign a year ago, Pachuta is hoping to rely upon his group's fitness and hard work. Despite the lack of depth, Pachuta said, "Our goal is to win the division in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and make deep runs in the league and district playoffs."HAVE A GOOD TIME- Pachuta is impressed with this year's squad and the ability of the players to enjoy themselves as they continue to work on their game. "I really like how hard our team works and the fun they are having," Pachuta said. "This is a really good group of kids to be able to coach. I look forward to this season."LEHIGHTONTIGHTEN THE CORE... Dave Yob begins his eighth season as the head coach at Lehighton. The Indians finished 7-11-1 a year ago, losing in the District 11 2A quarterfinals. But with plenty of returning letter winners to build around, Yob thinks improvement is definitely possible.TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADERS... Patrick Lawler (Mid.), Matt Petit-Clair (Def.), Jake Petit-Clair (Def.), Greg Venuto (GK/Def.), Bryce Smith (Def.) and Brandon Schnell (Def.), and are all seniors this season and hope to lead the Tribe to success. Also, juniors Isaiah Everett (For.), Luke Hoffner (Mid.), and Dan Sharp (Mid.) add padding to the lineup for even more returning experience.PIECES OF THE PUZZLE... Yob is hoping to find the most effective combination of newcomers to go along with those upperclassmen. "We're looking to remain competitive again this year," Yob said. "We have a nice mix of newcomers to go along with our veterans and right now, we're trying to fit the pieces together. The speed at which we gel will dictate our success this season."GOALS FOR GOALS- Some untimely injuries plagued the Indian roster a year ago, so Yob and assistants Joe Zarelli and Kevin Kotch are hoping to avoid those issues. "Last year, we took a step back from the previous three seasons, as injuries to key players really hindered our play," Yob said. "This year, we're hoping to stay healthy and surprise some teams."TAMAQUAGROWING PAINS… Youth abounds for the 2017 Raiders. After losing some very talented seniors, this year's squad will be young, but still talented in the eyes of coach Greg Scheeler.CHANGES COMING… A new approach this season due to the youth movement will dictate changes in the attack of the Raiders. Look for Tamaqua to add new formations and tactics, which are designed to pressure opponents into turnovers and creating more scoring opportunities.LEADERS OF THE PACK… Veteran Raiders returning include Jacoby Rudy, Derian Stianche, Mason Dolinksy, Nathaniel Noftz, Greg Davis, Wyatt Zeigler, Brian Milot and Khalid Holland.HELP ON THE WAY… Ian Davis, Tyler Steigerwalt, Michael Shlanta, Alexander Barron, Justin Lewis and Luke Verta should make an impact as newcomers to the starting lineup. Toss in a bevy of frosh, 15 total, and Tamaqua should have plenty of manpower.COACHES CALL… "Our strength is defense and if we can add a few of our freshman into the mix we should have decent depth," said Scheeler. "We've also have a strong, full squad of JV's, which will be a bonus. As for the league, it's up for grabs in my opinion. Yes, there are many strong teams in our division, but everyone took a huge hit to graduation. The next four years, Tamaqua will be much stronger than in the past. I am very much looking forward to seeing how it plays out."JIM THORPEWHERE DO WE START… The Olympians found a lot of success a season ago, racking up a 12-7 record. But after losing a ton of talent from that squad,. Jim Thorpe is scratching out a new formula for success. It has just three returning starters in senior captains Ian Montelius and Chris Williams, along with junior Ryder Wallace.COUNTING THE NUMBERS… Jim Thorpe isn't top heavy with seniors, but in the middle grades - 11 and 10 - the stock is strong. In addition to the aforementioned Montelius (defense) and Williams (midfield), first-year coach Mike Dudak will rely on four other seniors to crack the lineup. Those pitching for positions include Tom Dein, Ethan Melber, Alex Mierzejewski and Damola Taiwo.WHO CAN HELP OUT… There are a total of 15 juniors and sophomores, and with an influx of eight freshmen. Dudak may need to dip into all three classes to come up with another standout season. Junior Kingsley Ebling will man the goal for the first time, while senior Melber and sophomore Ray O'Neil will defend, Sophomore Alex Put, Dien and Huth round out the midfield. The strikers feature Mierzejewski, junior Preston Lawrence and freshman Jack Morris.BIDING ADIEU… Dudak takes over the reins of the program, replacing Tony Dixon. "Coach Dixon did a great job with the program," said Dudak. "I want to pick up where he left off."WHAT DUDAK SEES… "We should be competitive this season," said Dudak. "I look at our schedule and I feel that we can win any of the games. Our goal is always to win the districts, and I won't consider my time here successful unless we do."WEATHERLYNEW KID ON THE BLOCK… Kevin Kennedy is the new guy guiding the Wreckers taking over the program, as Phil Desrosiers stepped aside.BACK IN THE FOLD… Six is the number that the Wreckers have returning to the fold. The list includes Gary Buck, AJ Knepper, Traig Dempsey, Joel Hinkle, Johnny Arthur and Elijah Derr.ON DECK AND WAITING… Two key newcomers that Kennedy will bank on are Antonio Colecio and Luke Derr.A YEAR AGO… Weatherly was very competitive and finished 7-11 in the Schuylkill League small school division. It had two standout players on the squad who have graduated in Paul Eckert, one of the top goalkeepers in the league, and Mike Kennely.GARNERING STRENGTH… The new coach sees the seniors as the assertive players that will need to take charge to get things cooking. Kennedy use the word "eager," when he describes the strength of the team for 2017.HELP ON THE WAY... Weatherly now has a youth program which was inaugurated during the summer and should prove a benefit in future years.WHAT THE COACH HAS TO SAY… "Our expectations are high," said Kennedy. "We hope to match or eclipse last year's record, which included a playoff berth."