Trojans zero in on tactics

By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
Dec. 11, 2003
Chris Ferry loves to talk about tactics.
The second-year Northeast Lauderdale boys' head soccer coach obsession with movement and positioning stems a great deal from his military background.
The well traveled Trojans' sideline general has seen soccer played in nearly every nook and cranny of the world, and he is bringing what he has learned to East Mississippi.
Ferry said he is emphasizing overlaps, in which a player passes the ball to a teammate and runs behind him to receiving the ball back down the field, and shielding, where players use their shoulders and backside to keep defenders away from the ball.
Northeast's coach said it has been easier for the players to pick up on his philosophies in his second year with the squad.
The Trojans posted a .500 record last year, and they lost and returned players on a similar even scale.
Ryan Stewart and Ragan Denham both graduated and now play for East Central Community College, and Travis Huntly, Matt Moore and Cody Abrams have also been subtracted from the team due to graduation.
Northeast does return Paul Tate, Chad Brunson, John Donald, Jarad Donald and Daniel Huntley from last year's squad.
But the one thing that hasn't been lost is the coaches desire to pass on his knowledge of the pitch.
Ferry's persistence on learning positioning and ball movement have been paying off, the Trojans entered the Lauderdale County tournament with a 3-1 record and finished 2-1 in the one-day event.
While Northeast's coach said he believes his team can go deep in the postseason, he isn't putting final records above learning the game.