PREVIEW: Panthers shoot for dramatic improvement

     Monticello has hopes of a better boys soccer season than last year’s 1-13 campaign.

     Much better.

     “Our goals this season are to have a winning record at home and on the road,” sixth-year head coach Phil Gilkerson said. “Also, advance through multiple rounds of district play.”

     Fueling that optimism is the fact that 14 letter-winners are back with the team, including last year’s leading scorer, junior Gavin Holub, who had eight of the team’s 17 goals a year ago.

     Senior Alex Monk and junior Eli Boyd are also returning goal-scorers from 2016, while one of the assist leaders, junior Scott Lange, is also back. Goalkeeper Jordan Breashears, a senior, gives the Panthers experience in front of the net.

     Other returning letter-winners are senior Caleb Herman, juniors Ryan Oswald, Jacob Fokken, Janik Chally, Noel Halder and Austin Coohey; and sophomores Jaeden Hanssen, Kurt Stadtmueller and Dalton Hampson.

     In all, there are 25 boys our for the team.

     “We have a number of returning players who have varsity game experience,” Gilkerson said. “We have a number of young players who are inexperienced, but I am confident they will adapt to the pace of the high school game quickly.”

     Monticello will have some challenging opponents on this year’s schedule. Some of those include Dyersville Beckman, Iowa City Regina, West Liberty and Clear Creek-Amana.

     Assistant coaches are Ken Wennekamp, Duff Coleman and Colton Halder.