For Starkville High soccer player Kase Kingery, winning a state championship was simply a matter of time.
“In years past, we were playing against all of the (Class) 6A schools, we were really thrown out there as a bunch of youngsters,” Kingery said. “We had players at the same time, we didn’t have players. However, I always felt like we could win 6A and I think a lot of my teammates would agree.
“Dropping down to 5A was still huge. It opened the door for us. We felt like it was just a matter of time.”
The Yellow Jackets eventually accomplished their No. 1 goal as a senior-laden squad knocked off Pascagoula 1-0 to win the school’s first-ever state championship in boys soccer.
Kingery played midfielder for the team. His leadership on and off the field were big reasons why Starkville finished 14-3 overall and won all four of its playoff matches to garner the state crown. His leadership abilities and soccer prowess are big reasons why he is The Dispatch Player of the Year for boys’ soccer.
“We really had a successful season,” Kingery said. “It was the best effort in my five years of playing here (at Starkville High). We did a great job of finishing the year. We had a lot of seniors. We had a lot of team chemistry. We had a lot of fun.
“I think the fact that we had played together for so long really helped this team out. Everybody played a role and did a great job of filling it. We always felt deep down we could count on each other at crunch time to make a play. A lot of hard work went into it but somehow we always made it flow and played very well together.”
While the Yellow Jackets have been on the collision course with a state title for some time, coach Brian Bennett knew his seniors would have to carry the day, especially with it being the final title shot for most on his ballclub.
“We had great senior leadership and Kase was a big part of that,” Bennett said. “The neatest thing about this team is they always stayed focused and they were always coachable. That starts with players like Kase taking the lead.
“Confidence was never an issue. The belief that we could do it was never a problem. Sometimes, the kids believed too much. However, it was a fun group and focused group. They started on this mission from the first day of the season.”
Kingery said any state championship squad has to have a special blend of talent. What made Starkville unique this season was the ability to be balanced, exceling both defensively and in the attacking positions.
“We were solid in goal,” Kingery said. “The defenders, the midfielders, the strikers, there was not a weak link. We had every part to be a successful team. Our chemistry was something that came natural since we had been together for a long time. Not only did we have good seniors, we had juniors, sophomores and freshmen we could count on.
“I think we were very lucky in that we were good at every position. It was a good team all the way around and that is what made this season so special.”
The state championship run was a long time coming. Kingery and many of his teammates actually played youth league soccer together. Kingery says his love for the game started from those early days when he was turned loose on a soccer field at 6-years-old.
“I played recreational soccer until I was 12,” Kingery said. “Then I joined a challenge team with almost everybody who is on the high school team now. As a group, we played select ball when we were 13 and 14 and I also played on that team when I was 15. I also played a lot of soccer with undergraduate international students at MSU.
“That is what really made me tougher as a player, playing with those older guys. Previously, I was just kicking the ball and running a lot. As I grew older, this is when I started developing actual skills and learning how to be better at each aspect of the game. Playing with those older guys really helped me a lot.”
Kingery played on a select team in Tupelo, which led to a select team in Central Jackson. This past year, Kingery played with the Birmingham United Soccer Association. One of the premier soccer outlets in the southeast, Kingery was the only Mississippian on the upper level squad this past fall.
The Birmingham squad breaks for the Alabama High School Activities Association season but will reunite in May for another series of matches and a showcase.
“Sometimes it crosses my mind that I need a break,” Kingery said. “I am always on the road. Going to Jackson was tough enough but Birmingham was an even bigger challenge this past fall. These are the things that I need to do to become a better player and I know that.
“(Birmingham) coach Oliver Weiss has been a big influence on my game. He is working right now to help me get an opportunity to play in college. There are several options out there; it is just a matter of finding the right one.”
Former Heritage Academy standout Robby Thomas played with the Birmingham organization before joining the squad at Charlotte University. This past fall, the 49ers felt to the University of North Carolina in the national championship match.
“Kase has all the tools to be successful on the next level,” Bennett said. “He has an incredible work ethic. He also does a great job of making the players around him better. He was able to combine leadership skills with his natural athletic ability. When he puts his mind to it, there is not anything that he can’t be successful at.”
Kingery said his ability to play at a high level has been fostered by a series of different coaches, who have been a big influence on his career. He is also thankful for the fans, which have turned out to support the SHS squad through his playing time.
While the fruits of the hard work are now evident, Kingery said the work ethic and attitude was instilled at home. While his parents did not play soccer, father Billy and mother Rachel, have been very supportive of his soccer career from those very first grade school games.
“Really, I picked soccer up on my own,” Kingery said. “My older sister (Calla) played when she was little. My dad played college baseball and really I was always aspiring to be like him. My little brother (Christian) and little sister (Kennis) have always gone out in the backyard and played with me.
“We have always been a very active family and always done a lot of things together. Their support of my athletic career is a big reason why I have had the success I have had.”
Due to the demands of playing high school and club soccer, Kingery admits he has little time for anything else, besides staying on top of tasks in school. Kingery does do running events as part of the Starkville High track team. However, soccer remains the first love, it is a love nurtured by the team aspect of the sport.
“My favorite thing is well it is hard to say,” Kingery said. “I would go with the fact that it is a team sport. In football, you run a play and then everything stops. In basketball, it is all a matter of running set plays with each player going to their position and running their part of the play.
“Soccer is totally different. The sport never stops and is free-flowing. You have to play well together as a team to have success. It is all up to how you react when the game comes to you and that may be the most thrilling part of playing.”
Well the thrilling part may also be winning a state championship. Now, Kingery and the Jackets have done just that.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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