CHS boys' soccer team shows patience

By Steve Carfagna
Staff Writer
Head coach Gene Chyzowych knows how talented his Columbia High School boys’ varsity soccer team is.
But unlike last year, the legendary coach isn’t falling into the same trap.
“We’re just going with short-term goals this year and we’re just going to take things one game at a time,” he said. “I think we’ve learned that you can’t look too far ahead.”
To date, the coach has been pleased with what he has seen thus far.
“I’ve been delighted with the team. The guys have been working very hard with intensity and spirit. They are committed to moving to the next level and to play better than we did last year.”
And overall, the coach is hopeful the Cougars can achieve bigger and better things this season.
“We did lose a few really good seniors who graduated but we got most of our team back, about 80 percent of our team back and things look optimistic,” he said. “But we’ve got some tough competition ahead as we will be facing some of the top teams from the state and country and it should be interesting to see how things develop. We certainly look forward to seeing what we could achieve this season.”
The Cougars defeated Wallington, 3-0, in the season opener on Sept. 13 at Cameron Field in South Orange. Before the game, Chyzowych said the team would honor the family and loved ones of fellow Columbia High School alum Billy Burks, who recently passed away.
“He was the greatest teammate as anyone who played with him will say and later on, he then went on to become a great youth soccer coach,” said Chyzowych.
In remembering Burks, the school’s leading scorer in 1973, Chyzowych said the former Cougar is like a founding father for the sport of soccer in this area as he helped increased the sport’s popularity.
“He opened the door for kids in the South Orange/Maplewood area to play soccer,” he said.
Along with a pre-game presentation, Chyzowych said his players wore black arm bands in his honor.
The coach said the Cougars would rely upon senior forwards Jeremy Witherspoon and Luke Horowitz. In the opener, Horowitz scored twice and Witherspoon had two assists.
At midfield, Chyzowych said Drew DeFluri would start alongside of juniors Hunter Klein and Mark Yearick and senior Jesse Krasner.
In addition, junior David Ferruggiaro will start at midfield along with seniors Kai Greene and Max Nichols, who had the other goal in the opener.
Defensively, Columbia will rely upon senior sweeper Connor Ewald, senior stopper Jack Podhoretz and senior fullback Matthew Gardner.
In net, the coach said sophomore Max Yergan would serve as the backup goal-keeper to senior starter Sam Skoller, while Zach Angoff would be the third-string goalie. Skoller made 12 saves against Wallington.
Also expected to play key roles for the Cougars this season will be seniors Mohammed Sidibay and Miles Perkins and juniors Alberto Troya, Emmanuel Ntow-Mensah and Myrvins Noel.