The 2023 soccer season gets underway this week, and we asked local coaches what to expect from their teams this season. Here’s the preview for the Daviess County boys’ team.
The Panthers begin their season at home against Owensboro Catholic at 7 p.m. on Aug. 10.
Daviess County finished last season with a record of 19-5-1 (9-0-0 9th District), claiming their ninth consecutive region title before falling to Bowling Green in a penalty shootout in the second round of the state tournament.
Here’s what long-time head coach Doug Sandifer had to say about the upcoming season:
What are your expectations/goals for this year?
Our expectations are that we compete for a district title and region title. We have several first-year varsity players who will have to raise their level of play quickly to compete at that level. If we can stay fairly healthy, I feel like we can compete with the teams on our schedule.
What will be the biggest challenges on the schedule?
District games are always a challenge because of the nature of the games. The players know each other and there is a lot of pride on the line. Outside of our district opponents, the Bowling Green area schools will all be challenging as well as our Region 2 opponents at Madisonville and Henderson. Those games will test us and make us play at a very high level if we want to compete.
Who are your top returning players?
Sam Glover and Conner Johnson bring the most experience as seniors. Cameron Bell, Jack Quisenberry, Carter Payne, and Lukas Humphrey are returning juniors who will need to continue to step up and play veteran roles. The remaining seniors and juniors are going to gain more experience throughout the season and hopefully play important roles along the way.
Who do you expect/need to step up?
We will be young and inexperienced in several positions, so we will need the players who have been in these battles before to lead vocally and by example.
What areas are you hoping to improve on this year?
We just need individuals to keep working throughout the season to continue to improve their game.
