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- Marietta head coach Bill Mannix seems on previous to a women soccer match this season. (Photo by Rebecca Wheeler Photography)
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- Marietta’s Grace Spencer strikes the ball throughout a women soccer match this season. (Photo by Rebecca Wheeler Photography)
Marietta head coach Bill Mannix seems on previous to a women soccer match this season. (Photo by Rebecca Wheeler Photography)
Two of the most effective highschool soccer coaches within the state of Ohio name Marietta dwelling.
MHS women head coach Bill Mannix and assistant coach Ben Schenkel obtained prime honors from the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association. Mannix was named the Division III Coach of the Year whereas Schenkel earned D3 Assistant Coach of the Year honors.
That is an abundance of teaching potential patrolling one sideline, and the outcomes again it up. The Tigers are coming off one other extremely profitable marketing campaign which noticed this system declare district, sectional and league championships. It was the third district title within the final 4 years, the ninth straight sectional crown and the seventeenth general convention championship, this one coming within the Twin State League.
“It means a lot for the program,” Mannix stated. “When we first started, we weren’t setting out to break records or win awards. We were setting out to play a better brand of soccer at Marietta High School and take it to new heights.”
Marietta, which gained a faculty report 17 matches this fall, misplaced to Hoban within the regional finals.
Marietta’s Grace Spencer strikes the ball throughout a women soccer match this season. (Photo by Rebecca Wheeler Photography)
Since Mannix and Schenkel joined the employees 5 seasons in the past, the Tigers have racked up 73 wins, together with 16 within the postseason, and superior to the Final Four for the primary time at school historical past in 2022.
“It’s the best coaching staff I’ve ever been a part of,” Schenkel stated. “I’ve got 27 years of high school coaching experience. I’ve coached under probably seven different head coaches in different sports. I think Bill has the best roadmap of anyone I’ve coached with. He sets high expectations for the girls to follow, and not working toward those expectations is not an option. From an assistant coach perspective, I’ve never worked with a head coach who has valued their assistant coach’s thoughts and opinions as much as Bill does. I’ve never felt more valued as an assistant coach.”
Mannix expressed comparable sentiments for Schenkel, who he stated is basically like having a second head coach by his aspect.
“There’s no way you can put accolades onto what he does,” Mannix stated. “He allows us to do so much more. We look at things the same way. We talk about things and make decisions as a group. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to help the team. He could be a head coach at any school he wanted. We work together really well. This honor is well-suited for him. He’s a great coach.”
At the tip of the day, coaches can solely management a lot.
Both Mannix and Schenkel agreed teaching accolades aren’t potential with out gamers who purchase in and work laborious.
“It’s a testament to our players,” Schenkel stated. “Bill and I kind of laid the groundwork in year one on what it was going to take to get to this level, and the players bought in and put in the work.”
Junior Grace Spencer was named first group All-Ohio after a spectacular season on the pitch.
Spencer, who performs midfield and ahead, put up a gaudy statline that included 26 targets, 14 assists and 39 pictures on purpose. Those have been all team-highs this season.
“She’s an example of one who puts in the work,” Mannix stated. “Whether it’s the offseason, indoors, outdoors, in the weight room or on the practice field. Grace had been a standout soccer player on all her teams. We knew coming in if she put in the work, she could represent Marietta on the state level.”
Spencer was additionally the D3 Southeast District Player of the Year, TSL Player of the Year and most just lately was named to the All-Central Region group.
“A lot of people look at Grace and see her 66 career goals, but what gets overshadowed is her ability to involve other people,” Schenkel stated. “She makes other people on the field better. The last two seasons, she led our team in assists. She gets game-planned against because teams know she’s a scoring threat. She realizes ‘Tonight might not be my night to score, so I’m going to get other people the ball.’ Her unselfishness and willingness to adjust her game depending on what’s going on on the field is a huge testament to the player and person she is.”
Joining Spencer as a primary group all-district honoree was sophomore Alaina Merrill. Seniors Taylor Addis and Caroline Cortopassi have been each second teamers whereas senior Lauren Elliott and freshman Annalise Spencer have been honorable point out picks.
Maura Misel crammed an enormous gap at goalkeeper left by All-Ohioan Leigha Lauer and put collectively a formidable freshman season. In 20 video games between the pipes, Misel recorded 59 saves and allowed simply 20 targets — eight of which occurred to Hoban within the regional ultimate. She registered 10 clear sheets and was named the TSL Goalkeeper of the Year.
“We’re super proud of the team,” Mannix stated. “This time of the year, when you have a first team All-Ohio player, they typically get most of the attention from media and things like that. We’re graduating three defensive players that had to bring in a new goalie this year. They did an outstanding job.”
Contact Jordan Holland at [email protected].