BOYS SOCCER NOTEBOOK: Unranked Athens picking up steam
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
TROY — Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, it was hard not to picture Troy Athens as one of the state’s top teams when it comes to boys soccer. Over the past three decades, few teams have logged more weeks in the top 10 than the Red Hawks.
In the past decade, however, Athens has seen its time in the top 10 dip and the team has not been ranked the past few years.
Athens is starting to make their way back towards the top 10 under new head coach Todd Heugh. The veteran Heugh, a 1990 graduate of Troy Athens, returned to coaching high school boys soccer this fall after a six-year hiatus. He replaced hall-of-fame coach Tim Storch, who coached previously at Athens from 1981-2010 and retired following the girls season in the spring.
LEADING THE FLOCK; Sunny Shettigar and the Red Hawks are 6-1-1 in thier last eight games and Shettigar has emerged as the leading goal scorer for unranked Athens. File Photo | Dan Stickradt
With a new coach with a slightly different style, Athens started slow but has picked up steam. The Red Hawks are 6-1-1 in their last eight games. They are in a three-team race in the OAA Red Division for the league championship with rival Troy (ranked third) and Rochester Adams (ranked 10th) heading into the final three weeks of the regular season.
“I think it took some time for the players to know me and for me to know them. That takes time when you have a new coach come in,” offered Heugh, who started for Storch’s Red Hawks in 1988 and 1989, helping his team reach the Class A Final Four both years and win a state championship in the fall 1989 season. “But we are starting to come together. After we started 0-2, we have been playing better and better each week.”
Athens is 2-1-0 against teams ranked in the Division 1 top 10, based on Monday’s coaches association poll. The Red Hawks are nowhere to be found on the Division 1 list — yet. Athens defeated No. 7 Livonia Stevenson 3-1 on Saturday, while the Red Hawks also defeated No. 9 Rochester Stoney Creek (2-0) two weeks ago.
Athens opened the season with losses to Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (2-0) and Saline (2-0) despite outshooting both of those teams by sizeable margins. The Red Hawks are now 8-3-1 overall. The other loss was1-0 to Troy when the Colts were ranked No.1 in the state.
“We’re 6-1-1 in our last eight games and the only loss was to Troy, 1-0,” reminded Heugh. “
Division I prospects Sunny Shettigar and Alex Serwatka have been key leaders for Athens. Shettigar has led the team in scoring and Serwatka is four-year veteran in the midfield and leads the team with assists. Senior Sandy Mouch has also played well and goalkeepers Sam Ward and Brett Schmitz have formed a nice 1-2 punch between the pipes.
Senior Carl Rizzi (right) is one of four new starters on defense this season for Troy Athens. File Photo | Dan Stickradt
Most recently, junior Max Klitzke has found his scoring touch, with back-to-back two-goal games, including a pair of tallies against Stevenson.
“Having Max scoring goals gives us another dimension,” admitted Heugh. “He was always dangerous and was creating chances since the beginning of the season. But for whatever the reason, he couldn’t score goals. Now he’s been finishing. He gives us another offensive player that can score goals. He’s dangerous.
“We’ve had some nice leadership on this team as well. I think we have some seniors that have been here the past couple of years that now what it takes to succeed in this league that have stepped up,” added Heugh. “With a new coach, that is important. These guys have (bought in) and are really playing well. We lost our entire defense from last year, plus we have two new goalies. Defensively, we have seen a lot of improvement over the past few weeks.”
Athens still has a huge league game next week at Rochester Adams. The Red Hawks will play in the D-1 Utica district in mid-October, along with Chippewa Valley, Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse, Rochester, Rochester Stoney Creek, Utica, Utica Ford and Sterling Heights Stevenson, which made a surprise run to the state runner-up trophy last season.
“We’re hoping to peak at the right time,” said Heugh.
Boys Soccer State Rankings
(By the coaches association)
Division 1 — 1. Warren DeLaSalle; 2. East Kentwood; 3. Troy; 4. Plymouth Canton; 5. Novi; 6. Grand Haven; 7. Livonia Stevenson; 8. Plymouth Salem; 9. Rochester Stoney Creek; 10. Rochester Adams.
Honorable Mention — Rockford, Utica Eisenhower, Northville.
Division 2 — 1. Mason; 2. Lowell; 3. Sturgis; 4. Spring Lake; 5. Lapeer East; 6. Holly; 7. DeWitt; 8. St. Clair Shores Lakeshore; 9. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern; 10. Mattawan.
Honorable Mention — Fenton, East Lansing, Fruitport, Dexter.
Division 3 — 1. Hudsonville Unity Christian; 2. Whitehall; 3. Grand Rapids South Christian; 4. Muskegon Orchard View; 5. Frankenmuth; 6. Lansing Catholic Central; 7. Elk Rapids; 8. Clawson; Birmingham 9. Detroit Country Day; 10. Williamston.
Honorable Mention — South Haven, Birch Run, Midland Bullock Creek.
Division 4 — 1 Allen Park Inter-City Baptist; 2. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian; 3. Birmingham Roeper; 4. Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian; 5. Saginaw Lutheran Valley; 6. Traverse City Christian; 7. Hart; 8. Hartford; 9. Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Central; 10. Muskegon Western Michigan Christian.
Honorable Mention — Lansing Christian, Suttons Bay, Adrian Lenawee Christian, Clinton.
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Category: High School, Prep Wraps, Troy Athens
