WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – The JCC Men’s Soccer Team opened their 2021 season Saturday afternoon at the Coffeen Street campus, where they hosted Erie Community College in a non-conference contest.
It marked the first time since 2019 that the men’s soccer team had seen action, sitting out the 2020 season due to COVID-19.
In the 1st half, it was Erie with a scoring opportunity, but JCC goalie Qaadir Singletary comes up with the save.
Back the other way, it’s Nolan Parow with the header, but Erie goalie Patrick Hernandez makes the save.
In the 1st half, Erie gets on the board when Dhiraj Ramdam dents the back of the net to put Erie on top 1-0.
With 4 minutes left in the half, Ramdam takes the cross and scores his 2nd goal of the game: 2-0. Erie goes on to win 5-1.
We continue our preview of area high school football teams with a stop in Carthage to check in on the Comets. A young team that will be tested early on in the 2021 season.
The Comets are a relatively young team, with 12 seniors, 8 of those returners, and 5 juniors on the roster.
Coach Jason Coffman has a roster of 40 players, but understands the team may endure some growing pains early on in the year with a schedule that has the Comets playing Fayetteville Manlius, West Genesee and Indian River the first 3 weeks of the season.
”We gotta get to a place where we’re comfortable playing defense and we’re a dual threat on offense throwing and running or we’re gonna be in trouble. But at the same time, we’re young and I do believe we’ll be better at the end of the year than we are at the beginning,” said Coffman.
The Comets posted a 2-1 record in the spring and return their top running back in Carter Kempney, who rushed for 343 yards in a win over General Brown and added 160 yards in a victory over Watertown. And the players feel the Carthage offense will be the strength of this team this season.
”I think the strength of this team is definitely offense, and I think that our running game will be pretty strong,” said running-back Carter Kempney.
”I think it would be offense just because we’re a little more experienced on the offensive side. We have a lot of young kids on the defensive side, and I just think the experience will help us,” said Lincoln Escudero, quarterback.
”I think we’re really strong on offense, but equally our defense I think could persevere,” said offensive guard Finnley Wagner.
The Comets are back in the Section 3 Class A National Division, the same division they won in 2019 en route to an appearance in the state championship game; a division that Coffman knows is once again loaded this year.
”You know, our division, we have Indian River, Whitesboro, Central Square and Fulton in there and it’s a loaded division. Class A football in Section 3 I think is the top section in the state for Class A football from top to bottom,” said Coffman.
The Comets open their 2021 season on Friday, September 10th as they travel to Fayetteville Manlius for a Class A crossover game.
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