| 11/5/2008 2:30:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | |||||
Southmont sophomore forward selected as The Paper’s 2008 Boys Soccer Player of the Year NEW MARKET – It’s tough to match Erik Garcia’s quick-strike net attack. But it might be more challenging to crack his humble demeanor. When talking about his scoring abilities, the Southmont High School sophomore likes to deflect the attention off of himself and give his teammates an assist. Garcia recorded a county- and team-high 25 goals this season and with his quick-strike goal-scoring ability, he’s earned The Paper’s 2008 Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Speedy, swift and smart, he’s developed a knack for putting balls into the back of the net. “I just really like to score. I guess my speed helped me a lot of times,” Garcia said. “Most of the time it was because of my teammates. I don’t think I could have done it by myself. They would give me great passes and I would try to get it in back of the net . . . I never thought I was going to be able to score that many goals. It just came out of nowhere.” Score he did. He netted three or more goals four times, putting in a school-record five in a Sept. 16 match against conference foe Frankfort and scoring four each against county- and Sagamore Athletic Conference rival North Montgomery and Cascade. He also finished with seven total assists. Southmont ended its season with a school-record 12 wins and went 12-5-1, taking the Montgomery County championship and posting its first winning conference record (4-3) in the team’s history. It’s also the most wins the Mounties have ever had in the conference. Southmont also advanced to the Indiana High School Athletic Association Crawfordsville Sectional final for the third-straight year, losing to county- and conference rival Crawfordsville 1-0 in the championship match. It’s one of the few matches Garcia was shut out in. “It was kind of [disappointing],” he said. “That’s what we had worked all year for, that sectional championship. It didn’t come out like we had thought it would. It’s pretty disappointing. We’ll try our best next year, too.” This season, the Mounties showed they should be near the top of the conference for years to come. After returning to the program he started, Southmont coach Alan Clifton developed a well-conditioned, team-oriented group. With 10 seniors and a handful of juniors and sophomores, including Garcia, the Mounties steered themselves into new territory. “Outside of a few games, when we needed scoring Erik generally found a way to get it done,” Clifton said. “He did it through a number of ways. The ball distribution on the team was absolutely at a level I’ve never seen. Nathaniel Borden, Tyler Witherspoon – those guys made sure we got the ball into vital scoring position. With Erik, just perpetually moving, he knows how to find space and he just never gives up. That’s really an attribute to him. He’s great young man to have on the team and he’s only going to get better.” With those 10 seniors graduating this year, Clifton will need Garcia to step into more of a leadership role next season. But he’s confident Garcia can do that. With Garcia playing in an indoor soccer league in Indianapolis and then with summer practice, Clifton also hopes his footwork will become even better. “He’s a young sophomore and has got some things to work out with his foot skills and how to create opportunities in traffic,” Clifton said. “He’s made some nice progress in his ability to strike with his left foot. He’s incredibly coachable, a young man that’s full of energy and effort and he’s committed to the team.” Garcia’s actions and work are all for next year’s team. He’s hoping they can finally reach that goal of a sectional championship and knows if he puts the extra work in, it’s possible. “Hopefully we’ll win a sectional championship and another county championship and to be in the top in the conference,” Garcia said. “By working hard, that’s how we’re hopeful we’ll do it – by working hard in everything. Anything we can do to get to the point where we can win and get those championships, we’ve got to do it.” | ||||||
