August 19, 2021
The ECCC Warriors closed out the 2020-21 season with a 4-7-2 overall record after playing in a challenging spring semester. The team had some big victories with wins over Meridian, Southwest, Itawamba, and Holmes. Now with a quick turnaround to the 2021-22 season, the Warriors, under the direction of new head coach Ethan Paschal, look to return to the pitch with the same ferociousness and dedication the team possessed last season.
"Our hard work is our biggest asset," said first-year head coach Paschal. "We aren't going to have elaborate game plans, just to stay organized on the field, capitalize on opportunities, and out-hustle our opponents."
Paschal joins the Warriors after helping lead Mississippi Gulf Coast last season as an assistant coach to the MACCC postseason. Not only did he bring his deep knowledge of the game to Decatur, but some players from other programs as well.
"We have some guys coming in that bring a different look to us," said Paschal. "These players are just another part of a large group of experienced players that have seen a lot of time in this league and will be very helpful to us."
Transferring players join four "super-sophomores" in Caleb James of Jackson, Chase Graham of Vickburg, Quadarius Harris of Jackson, and Dorian Cox of Jackson. These players retained a year of eligibility due to COVID-19 and are back for a third season.
"Having third-year players is huge for us as a team," Paschal elaborated. "They bring leadership on the field, but also provide leadership on how to conduct yourself on campus, in the dorms, and at practice. This kind of player leadership is invaluable to a program."
Along with the third year and transfer students, the Warriors also return a host of traditional sophomores that all saw playing time just a couple of months ago.
"When we were first getting started this month we had some tired legs for sure, but as the season gets closer, our sophomore players have stepped up and kept the team eager and energized. Our guys continue to keep pushing to get better every day," said Paschal.
Sophomores include Noah Shockley of Long Beach, George Mota of Fortaleza, Brazil, Jashil Vithal of Johannesburg, South Africa, Gerson Lopez of Forest, Carson Strickland of McHenry, and Shamar Lott of Vicksburg.
Joining the diverse group of sophomores are 11 freshmen that hope to make an impact on the Warriors' 2021 campaign, including Marsei Helom of Jackson, Davi Amorim of Fortaleza, Brazil, Spencer Winans of Vancleave, Hayden Berray of Gulfport, Avery Liles of Wiggans, Thomas Phelps of Gautier, Paxton Anders of Meridian, Isiah Saunders of Natchez, Chris Denton of D'Iberville, and Joel Bowman of Bay St. Louis.
"Our freshmen class has a ton of potential and all have the right mentality and a lot of useful weapons," said Paschal. "Their experience will be a big thing for us as the jump from high school or club play to this level can be overwhelming at times, but so far they have adjusted very quickly and they will introduce a lot of competitive battles for playing time this year, which will only make us better as a whole."
The Warriors have always had a balanced attack offensively along with a solid defensive game plan and under Paschal's direction, this season seems to be the same.
"We look to be strong both offensively and defensively this season, we are going to play with a lot of physicality and look to be very fast-paced," said Paschal. "We want to be very organized on the defensive end and explosive on offense."
Along with blistering speed across the field, the team is anchored by Chase Graham in goal. The standout keeper will help keep nerves down across the field and allow players to be aggressive in all facets of the game.
"Overall, I want our guys to win the MACCC north division," Paschal said. "It is up for grabs this year, and I believe these student-athletes have the ability to win it. Along with success as a team, I look to continue to develop our sophomore and third-year players and put them in the best position possible to transfer from here and continue their playing careers at four-year institutions."
With a very sophomore-loaded team that has years of experience playing in the challenging MACCC, the ECCC Warriors look to shake up the north division this year with a high-energy strategy that will provide lots of exciting matches.
Team Pic Cutline: Left to right seated; Caleb James, Quadarius Harris, Noah Schokley, Marsei Helom, Jashil vithal, Dorian Cox, Gerson Lopez, George Mota, and Davi Amorim. Left to right standing; Tyler White (coach), Jagger Weekly (manager), Spencer Winans, Hayden Berray, Avery Liles, Luke Eads, Thomas Phelps, Chase Graham, Carson Strickland, Paxton Anders, Shamar Lott, Isiah Saunders, Chris Denton, Joel Bowman, and Ethan Paschal (head coach).
