One of the Archbishop Murphy boys soccer team’s main strengths is versatility.
Almost all of the Wildcats’ players are capable of making plays on either side of the field. Their defenders can score, and their forwards can defend.
“This group takes pride in knowing how to manage games and playing the right way,” said Archbishop Murphy coach Michael Bartley. “They’re so intelligent in how they approach every situation.”
The Wildcats’ 13 seniors can also take pride in the fact that they’ve won 41 consecutive games and have a chance to win their third straight 2A state title this weekend. They’ll take on Cascade Conference foe Cedarcrest on Friday in a state tournament semifinal contest at Sunset Chevrolet Stadium in Sumner.
“Our players are driven to not settle for anything,” Bartley said. “We’re always on the attack. It’s hard for other teams to play with us if they’re not a complete team.”
Archbishop Murphy is exactly that — a complete team. The Wildcats have great forwards in Matt Williams and Jensen Crisler. Their midfield is strong, keyed by Sam Johnson, Isaac Feeney and Keaton Weyers. They possess formidable defenders such as Diego Rios, Ryan Henderson and Mitchell Lovell. They have a goalie in Daniel Mycroft who’s capable of making a game-saving play at any moment. And they have a deep bench that provides flexibility.
In short, they’re loaded.
“Hopefully we can play our best (this weekend) and let people see how good these guys are,” Bartley said. “I tell my friends to come out and watch these guys play, because we won’t see another group like this for a long time. We just won’t. As a coach, this is a dream squad.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
