Jacket Nation Sports is proud to welcome Heritage Bank of the Ozarks, Missouri Cooperage, Jonesy’s Travel Center, Mercy, Shadel’s Colonial Chapel, Results Advertising, Fohn Outdoor Power, and Century 21 Laclede Realty as primary sponsors.
After losing six games by one goal in 2023, the Lebanon High School boys’ soccer team hopes to use those close losses as a learning experience and build into 2024.
“We have a lot of experience returning and know that our leadership will be there this year,” head coach Matt Jernigan said. Guys know how to compete in big games; now it is just finding a way to get over the hump and win those close games.”
The ‘Jackets return key players to the pitch such as senior Noah Anderson (Class 4 All-District 5 first team, All-Ozark Conference first team), senior Brock Piercy, senior Chris Kilburn (All-Ozark Conference honorable mention), senior Ethan Fisher, senior Jacob Reagan (Class 4 All-District 5 honorable mention, All-Ozark Conference second team), senior Curtis Frazier, senior Jeremiah Rivera, and junior Will Hodges. Below is an excerpt from Jernigan:
Noah Anderson, senior forward/midfield – Noah loves the game of soccer. He is always working in the offseason to improve and has a ton of talent. We are excited to see what he can do in his senior year.
Brock Piercy, senior midfielder/defender – Brock tore his ACL and MCL right after soccer season last year. He has been working hard in rehab, and we hope he can be fully ready to go on that first day of practice. He is a multi-sport kid and is a big piece of our team.
Chris Kilburn, senior goalkeeper— Chris can play anywhere on the field. In his three years with us, he has played keeper, midfield, forward, and defense. He is a baseball kid who is just athletic. He is a leader on and off the field for our team.
Ethan Fisher, senior defender— Fisher is an anchor in our defense. He has played varsity all three years and is a great asset back there. He has been a captain for our team, and the boys look up to him. We will be pretty young in our defense this year, but Ethan will be the leader back there.
Jacob Reagan, senior defender— Jacob verbally committed to SBU this offseason and has been working hard to keep improving. He can play anywhere on the field, and we are excited to see where he fits best in our new system this year. He can defend at a high level and has a great shot as well.
Curtis Frazier, junior defender – Curtis is a tough kid. He works hard and will do anything for the team. He plays in our midfield and defense and brings some toughness to our game. He isn’t afraid of contact and will put his body on the line for the team.
Jeremiah Rivera, senior midfielder – Jerry had a great season last year in the midfield and will be a big part of our offense this season. He has great vision and a great shot and will help us solidify our midfield this year.
William Hodges, junior defender — Will is an unbelievable athlete. He has all the physical skills to play anywhere. His role will be changing this year, and we are excited to see how he steps up into that role.
“We really like our experience returning this year,” said Jernigan. Most of our seniors have been playing varsity for three years, and all of our starters this season will have varsity experience. We have a hardworking group who loves the game. We are an athletic group who loves to compete and can’t wait to get started.
“We expect to be competitive night in and night out. With our new conference, we will see a lot of good competition and are excited to see where we stack up.”
Other newcomers who could impact the varsity level are Josh Rogers (sophomore, defense), Trent Penner (sophomore, forward), Aidan Ziehr and Gavin Ziehr (juniors, defense), and Noah Hinson (junior, midfield).
“Josh started for us as a freshman last year and did a great job up top and in the defense. He is going to be on our back line this year, and between him and Ethan Fisher, they should be a fun group to watch,” Jernigan explained. “Trent started as a freshman last year and did a great job. He is a hard worker and has really taken it to another level over the offseason. Aidan and Gavin are twins who have really stepped up this offseason. Noah has been dealing with injuries for the last couple of years, but he is looking good over the summer, and we are expecting a big year from him this season.”
Jernigan is starting his 17th season with the Yellowjackets, and fans will have something to look forward to when they attend home games this season at the soccer field.
“We are excited about our new field, which will be ready for our first home game this fall,” he said.
Jernigan said the project for a new playing surface began in 2023 with a meeting with parents discussing the field and scoreboard.
“Many issues were addressed, but the scoreboard and field surface were two of the major issues that were brought up,” he said. With the help of several of the soccer parents, spearheaded by local businesswoman Magda Reagan, we were able to put together a plan to give our facility a facelift. With a go-ahead from the school district in 2023, we were able to raise enough money from local businesses to build a new scoreboard with advertising space.
“After the scoreboard was done, we set our sights a little higher with the renovation of our field surface. The field surface had no major renovations since the teams began in 1995. With the school district’s approval, we started raising funds last spring with the goal of raising $60,000 to level and resod the field. Within one month, we were able to secure the funds to start the project. The sod was laid in June and looks amazing.”
Jernigan took time to thank the following who donated without any school district funds being used:
Lebanon All-Sports Booster Club, PT Signature Cabinetry, David, Melinda, and Cody Cates, Heritage Bank of the Ozarks, Lebanon Soccer Association, Magda’s Kitchen, and Two donations in memory of LHS Soccer players Jason Frye and Michael Donigan, who graduated in 2002, and 2003.
Lebanon will compete at the Bolivar Jamboree on August 27 and travel to Hillcrest for their opening game of the season on September 3. The ‘Jackets will host their home tournament on September 6 and 7 on their new field.
