Cameron Whittle and Michael Ledbetter don’t have to consult each other or rack their brains to find the answer.
When Whittle and Ledbetter are asked to remember the last time the Heritage Academy boys soccer team started a season 4-0, both players don’t recall a time when it has happened. In fact, Whittle said he doesn’t think it has happened — until this season.
Victories against Washington School, Magnolia Heights, Starkville Academy, and Hillcrest Christian have Heritage Academy in chartered waters as it prepares for the holiday break. Heritage Academy capped the opening month of the season Friday by scoring four goals in the second half to beat Hillcrest Christian 4-1.
Whittle, who has two goals in the victory, believes he knows why this year’s team has done something others haven’t been able to accomplish.
“I think this is the first year we have actually played as a team,” said Whittle, a senior. “I think it has always been about strikers or midfielders or one or two people, but this year it is about the team. We get along, and I think these guys want to win together.”
True to the “team” concept, neither Whittle nor Ledbetter single themselves out when talking about the Patriots’ success. But if you dig deeper, it is undeniable to ignore the imprint Whittle, a midfielder, and Ledbetter, a forward, have made on the squad this season. Their play on the field and their ability to share their soccer knowledge and experience with younger teammates has played a key role in the team’s fast start.
For their accomplishments, Whittle and Ledbetter are The Dispatch’s Prep Players of the Week.
One indicator of teamwork is the ability to players to be on the same wavelength, whether that is on the field or in practice. Whittle and Ledbetter have that bond off the field, too, thanks to years of playing soccer with each other. They said the neighborhoods they grew up in are adjacent to each other, which made it easier for them to come together and play whenever they could.
Now that they are older, Ledbetter said he enjoys playing with Whittle and knows they feed off each other. He said his teammates, including many of the first-year players who had never played the sport, share that mentality and are overcoming their inexperience because they are having fun and working hard to get better.
“Last year, expectations were high, and I think the seniors on the team thought they were going to walk into games and win,” Ledbetter said. “That is basically all they talked about. That is all their focus was on. … The only game we walked into saying we need to go get this win was the first game against Washington. Since then, we have basically played because it is fun.”
Whittle, who also plays on a Premier League team in Starkville, said Heritage Academy has focused on passing this year in an attempt to overcome the graduation losses from last season. Ledbetter said the team’s ability to possess and to control the ball was crucial in the second half when the team scored four times to rally past Hillcrest Christian. Caleb Gurley and Lex Rogers also had goals in the win.
Heritage Academy soccer coach Joe Asadi said his players have more confidence than last season. He said that mind-set has enabled them recognize the importance of playing together and how that can help them achieve results. A year ago, he said players were more concerned about individual goals and often attempted to out-do each other. This year, though, he said the more experienced players are assisting younger players and sharing their knowledge of the game, which is helping everyone.
Asadi, who also coaches the school’s girls soccer team, said Whittle and Ledbetter, a junior, have played key roles in setting the tone.
“Cameron is an excellent player,” Asadi said. “Right now, he can play at a much higher level. He has gotten much better in his ball control, in his passing, and his communication with the other people around him.
“This year, I told Michael he can be the best Michael ever to play at Heritage. I told him to relax and to think before whatever you do. That boy is like lightning. He is doing his job.”
Both players said it is more satisfying to play a more attractive style of soccer. They agreed last season the team played more directly, or a “kick and run” brand of soccer in which strikers tried to outrun opponents to the ball to create chances. This season, Whittle and Ledbetter hope to use their chemistry to keep the Patriots’ run going. They said the pieces have fit well together and that everyone is supporting everyone and isn’t being overly critical if someone makes a mistake. That sounds like a great plan to follow to ensure team success.
“Cameron controls the possession of the game, and the young guys watch him and see what they need to do,” Ledbetter said. “That is passed over to me some. … Now it is more of a team unity and a leadership that mainly Cameron provides and I can kind of back that up a little bit. That just really helps this team.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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