Along with a new season, the boys' soccer team also welcomes new coach, Larry Fingers. Fingers joins the Big Macs after six seasons as head coach at his alma mater, Carlynton High School.
Fingers brings years of soccer knowledge to the team, having played in high school, all four years in college at Slippery Rock and nine years of coaching experience. In addition to coaching high school soccer, Fingers is a coach for the State Olympic Developmental program as well as coaching two Century United Club soccer teams.
According to Fingers, the Big Macs lost some key seniors last year, but is feeling confident about the ability of the younger players to step up and fill the gaps that were left behind.
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“We have a good number of kids on the team and they have all been working hard. I think we'll have a better idea of where we stand after our scrimmage against Bethel Park on Tuesday,” Fingers said.
Speed and the team's ability to step up in competition are two of the things that Fingers said he thinks will prove to be vital in winning games. At this point in the preseason, though, Fingers can't yet determine which players will lead the team.
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“We have a really good core group of players and I think it is just too early to pinpoint who the key players are going to be,” Fingers said.
Fingers is also working to incorporate the community's youth soccer program in with the high school program. Fingers said they are hoping to have youth teams compete during half time at all of the games— something the team tried once during last year's season.
He said he believes a partnership of this type would benefit all aspects of Canon-McMillan soccer.
It isn't just the athletes and the coach who have been busy preparing for the 2011 season. The boosters club has also been plugging away making preparations for a successful year. For the second consecutive season, the boosters have secured sponsors for each of the home games.
This year, spectators can expect to see King's Restaurant Frownie, the Chic-Fil-A cow, as well as representatives from Bruster's Ice Cream, McDonald's, Max & Erma's and many others.
Jessica Oberhaus-Wickard, booster club secretary, worked to line up these home-game sponsors to help bring out more spectators and has been blown away by the support they have gotten from so many local businesses.
“We have games during the week and have to compete with other sports and activities. It isn't like we have our games every Friday night, so we were trying to find ways to bring more people out,” Oberhaus-Wickard said.
The boosters have also been working on their largest, most successful fundraiser of the year—the Canon-McMillan High School Boys Soccer Booster's Annual Comedy Night Fundraiser. The event is being held at the Cecil Township Volunteer Fire Company Hall #3 on Sept. 17.
Tickets are $25, and Oberhaus-Wickard said she expects that they will sell out of the 300 they have available. The night will also include a Chinese Auction and a 50/50 raffle. For updates on fundraisers and home game sponsors, the boosters have a Facebook page with all the latest information.