Young athletes step up after two of Hillsborough’s best players graduate.
Andrew Madden’s hunch is that things could be pretty good for his Durant Cougars in 2016.
The only head coach in program history would know firsthand: he can be found with a stick in his hands at every practice, participating in drills with the boys and going as hard as they do. If someone’s getting hyped up, then they’ve done more than just pass an eye test.
These good vibes are crucial for a Cougars team that, going into its third season, have two huge holes to fill.
Losing Robert Seguin and Jordan Jolly to graduation after 2015 is no small obstacle to cross. Seguin, a blue-chip prospect, wrote the school record books playing in the middle and has taken his talents to Hendrix College. Jolly, a prolific offensive threat, was still productive despite playing his senior season with a hurt shoulder. Now enrolled at Valdosta State University, Jolly has gotten surgery to fix his shoulder and is on the recovery trail.
“It’s not gonna be just two new players stepping into those spots — that’s not what I even want,” Madden says. “At the end of the day, I don’t think we were as effective last year as we could have been, just because some of the kids were literally mesmerized by what Jordan and Robert could do.”
Even if those two can’t be replaced, Durant could work around it and find success in other ways.
The good news is that the number of kids coming into the program with no previous playing experience is getting lower each year, Madden says. This year’s crop of freshmen has plenty of Central Florida club experience, playing for programs such as Tampa Elite, West Florida Lacrosse and Apprentice Athletics.
“The biggest part is that they enjoy the game,” Madden says. “They’re young, and they’re gonna make young players’ mistakes but, at the end of the day, they’re out here five days a week, working hard. They’re willing to work their butts off.”
Madden says that the team will get the most out of its strong defense, building outward from the goalie position. He raves about sophomore Alex Cordero, who will be the Cougars’ starting netminder this season.
“He was honor roll, all-county last year,” Madden says. “He’s gonna be a rock for us.”
Of all the players who will be tasked to make up for Seguin and Jolly’s production, midfielder Max Griffith may get the most work. Griffith, a junior, looks to be the centerpiece of the Cougars’ attack.
“He’s a great two-way player, as well,” Madden says. “He was hurt last year, couldn’t play at all, so to have him come in and be able to fit, almost, right into that spot is great.”
But make no mistake: Madden is not asking Cordero and Griffith to carry the weight of the team on their backs, from Friday night’s season opener.
“It’s gonna be everybody working hard, to make up for the offensive transition and the defensive lockdowns,” he says.
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
