BY DAVID SHAW
SALISBURY POST

Four words about this week’s Rowan County boys soccer tournament: Don’t miss this show.

Area talent is at an all-time high and the three-day extravaganza, captured by upstart South Rowan a year ago, is filled with intriguing storylines and subplots.

Two coaches — South’s Chris Walters and East Rowan’s Pet Keovilay — will make their sideline debuts. Salisbury, a team stocked with 14 returning lettermen, hopes to hit for the cycle this fall. West Rowan expects to rebound from a disappointing 2000 season and host North Rowan — with 10 seniors on its roster — has the most-balanced team in coach Vincent Connolly’s six-year reign.

It all begins Monday at 7 p.m. when East and North clash in a first-round match. The tourney continues Tuesday when old rivals Salisbury and West meet in a 5 p.m. semifinal. Top-seeded South faces the East-North winner in the other semi at 7 p.m. The consolation and championship games are scheduled Thursday night.

But first, here’s a brief look at each of the county squads:

Walters, South’s former jayvee coach, is thinking big one year after the Raiders (13-5-2) placed third in the CPC and just missed the playoffs. “This is probably the strongest team ever at South Rowan,” he says. “We can’t wait to get started.”

Who can blame him? Nine seniors return, led by do-it-all sweeper Dustin Efird, an All-Region 8 and Olympic Development Team player. “He keeps getting better,” Walters observes. “But I think we’d be a strong team without him. I know he’ll score a lot of goals and he’s our defensive leader, but this is a solid overall team.”

Other key players include forward Henry Menjivar — the midfielder with breakaway speed — as well as all-conference stopper/keeper Ronnie Shore and finisher Derrick Beaver, a 10-goal scorer last season.

“Our midfield is really strong,” says Walters. “This team makes great passes. Dustin’s a standout, but our midfield is what makes us so good.”

The Hornets (15-7-1) have a score to settle after missing the playoffs for the first time in 12 years last season. “These guys are hungry,” says coach Tom Sexton, owner of a 169-69-11 career record. “They’ve set some big-time goals. The team slogan is: 2001 — It Might Have a Ring to It. You know what that means.”

The ringleader is heavily recruited halfback Daniel Butner, a major distribution center closing in on the state all-time assist record. His beneficiary is junior forward Alec Beaver, a 21-goal scorer last year. And the defense is anchored by sweeper Jeremy Rehders, a speed merchant whom Sexton believes is one of the state’s top defenders.

“Radar is relentless,” he says. “And he’s got a fuel tank as deep as they make them. He doesn’t stop.”

One key newcomer is senior forward/midfielder Lynden Zuniga, a transfer student from Honduras. “He has lightning-bolt speed, defends extremely well and can shoot through traffic,” says Sexton. “No one will able to defend just one or two of our guys.”

Salisbury has depth — 22 players, including 10 seniors. Throw in a non-league schedule that’s more caviar than fish sticks, including an Oct. 4 visit to Swannsboro, and you understand why they’re excited on Lincolnton Road.

You don’t have to be a math major to figure this one out. The Falcons (7-11-1), plain and simple, need to score more goals. “That’s it,” says fourth-year coach Rob Sweet. “Last year we didn’t. We were young. Not a whole lot of leadership. It was a long year.”

Don’t look for a rerun. West returns six starters, including leading scorer Brian Armada (eight goals, eight assists). As a three-time all-county and all-conference forward, he plays like a hamster on a wheel. “He’s small but quick,” says Sweet. “He can score three goals to beat you or kill you doing other things.”

Then there’s Michael Wetter, the creative halfback/forward who splashed onto the scene as a sophomore in 2000. “He’s a smart player who makes stuff happen for us,” says Sweet.

Third-year starter Andrew Belk will quarterback the Falcons’ midfield while unproven junior Tyler Parker takes over in goal. On defense West features slam-the-door stopper Brian Shaw, hard-nosed Jesse Bouk and the much-improved Ryan Neely.

“My major concern is that we put last year behind us,” says Sweet. “Then we’ll go from there.”

The window of opportunity has never been wider for the Cavs (6-12). Connolly has “a bucketful of seniors,” and a team that’s thinking defense first.

“We have a lot of the pieces in place,” the sixth-year coach explains. “That’s very good news. When you have a group like this coming through, you believe this is the year to make a run.”

That run starts with senior midfielder Kevin Rutherford, a college-bound team leader willing to take responsibility on the field. Joining him is all-county forward Jordan Littleton, a senior who pumped nine balls into the back of the net last autumn.

“He has a forward’s mentality,” says Connolly. “He’s very tough on the ball, like a bull in a china shop.”

There’s a returning starter in goal, where Michael Hill digs in for his junior season. “If he stays focused and plays to his ability, he’s as good as there is,” rates Connolly.

Cementing the defense are a couple of trusty seniors — stopper Kiel Jarrett and sweeper Adam Monteith.

“They’re both very important,” Connolly says. “For this team to be successful, we have to maintain our defensive integrity and maintain our shape. That’s where they come in. We’ll go as far as our defense carries us.”

The buzzword in GQ is also defense. Keovilay brings a player’s mentality — he’s a defender for an Asian tournament team in Charlotte — and hopes to improve last year’s pitiful East record (0-18-1).

“I specialize in defense,” he says. “I want to play soccer the way it’s supposed to be played. I know defense. I’m a defender. Right now I’m drilling it into my boys’ heads. I’m hoping that when they play the games, they’ll stick to it.”

East has a solid two-way player in senior center-midfielder John Norris, an aggressive four-year letterman. “He knows the game and can take control,” Keovilay says.

Heading the offense is sophomore Sam Ketner, a striker with a nose for the ball around the net. East’s stopper is freshman Nick Anderson but its top defensive player may be sweeper Bobby Shepherd. “His skills are average,” says the coach. “But he can read the ball and anticipates better than anyone.”

Keovilay’s first task is to stop the bleeding that has plagued East’s program the past few years. “They tell me I have no way to go but up,” he says. “But I’ll have to push them to go up. I’m told by parents and fans and the players themselves that we look a lot better than last year. But me, I’m not so sure yet.”

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Contact David Shaw at sports@salisburypost.com .