Photo by Erin Nelson.
Hewitt at Vestavia Boys Soccer
Hewitt-Trussville’s Landon Surratt (10) dribbles the ball guarded by Vestavia Hills’ Isaac Obermiller (13) in a match between Vestavia Hills and Hewitt-Trussville at Buddy Anderson Field on March 5. TheRebels defeated the Huskies 2-0.
The Hewitt-Trussville High School boys soccer team has zero seniors on the roster, but the Huskies hope their underclassmen can lead them to the playoffs.
Hewitt-Trussville head coach Shane Ashcraft said the team is progressing well, even with the youth on the team and the task of learning a new system.
“The team is progressing nicely,” he said. “We have a small group and a really young group, but we have a lot of players that really want to play that are coming in strong. They’re learning a new system they aren’t used to and they’re doing a really good job with that. We’re young and we make young mistakes, but right now I like the way we’re looking.”
Ashcraft said he has four junior captains leading the team. The Huskies’ two biggest leaders are a contrast to each other, which helps the team in tough situations. Center midfielder Seth Hall is the quiet, lead-by-example player and midfielder/striker Landon Surratt, who moved from Florida in the summer, is a more natural leader and steps up to talk when needed.
Hall said the team is coming together and he hopes this will help the team build in the future.
“The team is young and it shows early on in the season. However, the young players are learning quickly and are also able to get good varsity minutes on the field,” he said. “It’s a building year for the team with a new coach, and we are putting in the work that makes up for the lack of age and hopefully will be a powerhouse team in the coming years.”
Most teams have a senior to lean on, but Ashcraft said once the team settled into the mindset of zero seniors, the team has come together and played hard.
“At first, I think it was a little bit of a challenge because you know everyone likes the senior leadership and people who have been there,” he said. “But it’s forced a lot of our younger players to step up and take on a role early that they normally wouldn’t have to. They’ve responded really well, and in a lot of ways it’s encouraged the younger players to make this their team.”
Hewitt-Trussville did not return many players from last year’s team, opening the door for underclassmen to step up and take the responsibility to help the team. Parker Briggs and Seth Walker both start for the Huskies as freshmen at pivotal spots. Ashcraft said both have played multiple positions and not backed down through the early going.
Juniors Daniel Cosby and Jacob Crow and sophomore Cason Cook have also provided solid play for the Huskies.
The Huskies have a tough road ahead with area matchups against Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and Spain Park. Surratt said the team and himself are putting their heads down to work hard to make this season and future seasons great for Hewitt-Trussville soccer.
“As you can see we have a very young team, but we have the potential to do something [special],” he said. “We are just focusing on the little details, putting in the grit, grind and hard work for the success in the future. We also are trying to create an environment that’s tough by trying to improve day-in and day-out, giving 110 percent all the time.”
