Gig Harbor Boys Soccer looks to build on previous year’s success
Last season, the Gig Harbor High School boys soccer team posted a typically strong season, going 12-1-3 and advancing to the Class 3A state tournament quarterfinals, where the Tides lost to Bellevue, 1-0.
This year, things are quite different for them as 17 seniors either graduated from or left the program, vacating a gap in varsity experience. But that won’t stop the squad from chasing a state championship.
“This year I’ve got technically only three [seniors], and so the rest [of the team] will be sophomores and juniors,” said coach Joe Ross. “So we’re looking what Peninsula looked like last year. Which is very exciting because it’s a perfect transitional phase where I’ve got a nice number of incoming freshman that are very talented and have a lot of experience.”
Part of Ross’ plan for this season is to build that bridge of cohesion between the few older players and the younger players that are just getting their first minutes of varsity time.
His plan fits the philosophy that Ross has in regards to the program he has built in his three years as head coach of the Tides: It’s about the program, not about the individual.
It begins with getting everyone to buy into what he is coaching in order to become stronger and better on and off the soccer pitch.
“With all these fresh minds, you can get the buy-in from day one,” he said. “And they are going to carry that philosophy and tradition that we are trying to build here of cohesion, teamwork, partnerships and to truly understand what team is all about… That’s where championships are won.”
Once the athletes play together and get to know each other on the practice field, then that’s when they play for each other and really gel as a squad. And with so many young kids, they want to be there and play for a quality team.
Currently, there are three seniors are looking to lead the team, one of which is center midfielder Cole DiMatteo.
DiMatteo sees the youth movement of the Tides as a good thing as well, noticing that the younger players are eager to get out and win now and hopefully fuel another championship run for the Tides.
“I think having so many young players is going to be nice; having them experience varsity for the first time and being able to grow into varsity,” he said. “I definitely have more of a leadership role this year since there aren’t a lot of seniors, and I feel like the role is reversed from when I was a freshman.”
As a freshman, DiMatteo played for a Tides team that had a ton of senior leadership to help watch over and guide the younger players. Now he’s offering the same guidance, only with a larger group.
One senior that will noticeably be missing from the pitch is Nate Jones. Jones verbally committed to playing soccer for the University of Washington last August.
In doing so, he is spending his time training and playing for the Crossfire Academy to help get ready for the next level. Because of that, Jones is prohibited from playing high school soccer and will not be on the pitch for his senior year.
“It’s personally kind of hard on me because we’ve been growing up our whole lives playing soccer together,” DiMatteo said. “So not being able to play together senior year is kind of hard.”
Despite not having Jones out on the pitch, DiMatteo and Ross both share a confidence that the team is going to do well this season.
In the past, the Tides had really great athletes that led the soccer team to deep postseason runs. This year, with the lack of experience, Ross and his team are relying on the soccer IQ each player has.
“This year, I believe the soccer IQ is a lot higher. So what we lack in experience, we should be able to compensate with athleticism and being smart,” he said. “My plan will be to focus more on education and tactical concepts towards opponents.”
Throughout the season, the Tides will work on reading and adjusting against their opponents. Players will have to change formations on the fly and possibly play in spots they aren’t familiar with.
They will anticipate peaking right at the beginning of districts and fall where they may in state playoffs.
“I like the energy, I like the enthusiasm and they are already showing respect for each other and the coaching staff,” Ross said. “They’re all participating and they’re all listening. That is a great start.”
The Tides will kick off their season against with an away match against Timberline at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 19 at South Sound Stadium. Their first home match will be against Gonzaga Prep at noon on Saturday, March 21 at Roy Anderson Field.
This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 6:00 AM.