Panther boys’ soccer hoping to reach ‘maximum potential’

Posted 3/18/21

At one of the Panthers’ first few practices of 2021, Powell High School boys’ soccer coach David Gilliatt brought an almost-full bucket of water and a drill. He enlisted junior Hawkin …

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Panther boys’ soccer hoping to reach ‘maximum potential’

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At one of the Panthers’ first few practices of 2021, Powell High School boys’ soccer coach David Gilliatt brought an almost-full bucket of water and a drill. He enlisted junior Hawkin Sweeney to hold up the bucket, and as soon as Sweeney grasped it with his arms extended, Gilliatt drilled two holes.

Water flowed out.

Quickly, senior Trevor Groves used his hands to stop the flowing water. Then, Gilliatt drilled two more holes. Another senior, Jesse Trotter, put his fingers on the new ones, preventing any more water from seeping through. 

The point of the exercise? To demonstrate what can happen when a team isn’t on the same page. 

“Anything I can do to emphasize working together as a team, specifically while pressing, I just want to make sure that sticks,” Gilliatt said. “When we’re in a game and we’re tired and our lungs are burning, I hope that they forget pain and remember the visual example.”

Gilliatt knows that if his squad plays together at its highest level, its potential is infinite. The team brings back a strong core of returners, as well as several newcomers expected to make an immediate impact.

Due to COVID-19, the last PHS soccer season was 2019, when the team made it to the state championship game. Gilliatt and his players know they could’ve been a force in 2020 if the season wasn’t scrapped, and that only fires them up more heading into 2021. 

“We know what we could have accomplished last year,” senior Sam Bauer said. “We are just excited to get this season started.”

The PHS boys have been in an offseason since May 2019, but they haven’t taken any time off. From open fields, conditioning training and other individual workouts, the Panthers have continued to sharpen their skills in the 22-month hiatus from the pitch. 

Though losing the 2020 season to the pandemic was a significant blow, Gilliatt found ways to keep the boys motivated and in soccer shape. 

“When they first announced that we had to be paused, it was such a quick domino effect,” the coach said. “Had to figure out ways to practice on our own, not together, at first. We followed the protocols, had open field in the summer; open gyms in the winter. The way I see it, if there’s an opportunity to play, we’re going to jump through hoops to do it.”

Bauer said the boys played “three days a week in the summer [and] winter.” He specifically worked on “becoming quicker and decisive with my playmaking and using both feet equally.”

A few days into 2021 practices, the team’s drive has been on full display. Gilliatt noted the boys’ focus and motivation after they missed out on official competition for a full year. 

“They understand the seriousness of the task at hand and they’re ready,” Gilliatt said. “If anything, I’m not pushing them hard enough. They’re all challenging each other.”

Added Bauer, “The team is slowly starting to click again, and the team is working hard, day in and day out.”

Bauer is one of two returning all-state players on Powell’s roster, along with goalkeeper Ashton Brewer. They’re expected to be two of the team’s most productive senior leaders this year, the coach said. 

Sweeney was the team’s leading scorer as a freshman in 2019 and the now-junior will likely be a key offensive piece again. Another junior Gilliatt expects strong play from is captain Garrett Morris, who earned his role through “blood, sweat and tears.”

With those four leading a strong core of returners, the team has experience and the potential to go far in Class 3A. Gilliatt and his players know they will be hard to beat — if they keep the water in the bucket. 

“We believe we have maximum potential this year,” Gilliatt said. “It’s on us to reach that potential.”

Powell High School, Panther Soccer

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