Elida’s Ben Osmon and Shawnee’s Adam Jmiai compete for the ball during a recent match at Shawnee.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP — New coach. Same standards.
Last fall, Shawnee won its first ever boys soccer state title as it defeated Bexley 1-0 (3-1 in the penalty-kick shootout) in the Division II state championship match at the Columbus Crew’s Lower.com Field.
After last season, Shawnee head coach Ryan Quatman decided to retire from coaching. Quatman played on the 2001 Shawnee state semifinal team and coached the 2020 state semifinal squad.
This season, Jason Hoehn takes over as the Shawnee head coach.
However, Hoehn isn’t new to the Shawnee program.
“This is my eighth year. I was an assistant coach when I came in,” Hoehn said. “I worked a lot with the JV (junior varsity) boys when I came in. Then, it progressed. The last four years or so, I worked with the varsity. We’re all familiar with each other.
“We try to stay with the same philosophy. We installed a new system last year. We want to try to stick with that system. We think we play well when we possess the ball. In the end, we’re just going to play our game. That was our goal from the beginning. Every game, we want to win. We know what it feels like to be in every game. We want to do the same this year.”
So far this season, Hoehn’s results are right on course.
Shawnee is 2-0-1 overall and 2-0-0 in the Western Buckeye League. The Indians are tied for first place in the league with Wapakoneta (2-0-0) and Celina (2-0-0).
However, Hoehn and his coaching staff will have the challenge of replacing many key players from last year’s state title team.
“We lost five players that started. … We lost seven seniors total,” Hoehn said.
Senior co-captain Alex McGuire said this year’s team is ready for the challenges that are ahead of them.
“We had to make a lot of adjustments this year,” McGuire said. “But I’m just as confident in this team, as I was last year. We’re going to just keep doing what we do.
“The pressure is a little heavier this year since we have won the WBL the past four years. It (the pressure) has always been there. I think we’re pretty good at handling it.”
Junior co-captain Caleb Miller said that winning the state championship last season set the bar for the program.
“It was a really fun season (2022) — getting to go to the state finals, and then winning the state championship,” Miller said. “Every other year we would make it to like the regional semifinals, or regional finals. … One year we made it to state. Then, finally making it to the state finals was a huge accomplishment. We went the whole way and fought to the end. We’re hoping to continue that this year.
“We always try to keep the same standard. Our whole team is really positive. (Winning the) WBL has always been the standard, from the beginning — then getting to regionals and then to state,” Miller said.
Senior co-captain Ethan Parlapiano said nothing has really changed since Hoehn took over the program.
“The expectations are the same every year,” Parlapiano said. “We’re going into every game, just like we normally would. Every day is the same for us. It’s not too much different (with the new head coach). It’s just a little different atmosphere, but it’s pretty much the same.”
Shawnee has won the Western Buckeye League title the previous four seasons.
In all, Shawnee has notched nine WBL titles in boys’ soccer. Elida has also won nine league crowns.
“It’s kind of like when a shark smells blood in the water. They just want to keep going after it,” Hoehn said. “So, we’ve seen it, and we’ve been there. And we just want to continue to do that.
“I told them, ‘We have won the WBL four years in a row. We’re going to have a big target on our backs; and now, it’s even bigger (since winning a state championship). It’s not just our league (opponents) coming after us. … It’s every school (we play) that’s coming after us.’ ”
Reach The Lima News sports department at 567-242-0451.
