Putnam County High School boys’ soccer is off to an impressive start entering its fourth week of the season. The War Eagles are 4-1 overall and 1-0 in Region 4-AA competition under second-year head coach Michael Taylor.
Despite losing eight seniors from last year’s squad, Taylor said the expectations for this season are very high.
The War Eagles (4-1) opened on Feb. 13 against nearby Lake Oconee Academy, dropping a 4-1 result. They then rattled off four straight wins over Rutland (10-1), Baldwin (7-2), Glenn Hills (10-0), and GMC Prep (1-0).
“Coming into this season, it was a big change for us. We lost a lot of seniors from last season that were very talented and were also a great group to work with,” Taylor explained. “This year, I wasn’t too sure what we had coming back, but the first match against (LOA) gave me an idea about where we might be headed.”
Bryan Canales, Putnam’s primary scorer from last year, has been instrumental in helping lead the way this season. However, he changed positions and has made a difference in another way, Taylor said.
“Bryan (Canales), he’s a senior and difference maker for us. He moved to a different position this year. Last year, he led the team in scoring as one of our forwards,” Taylor said. “This year, he’s playing center midfielder and has helped lead our team in assists. He’s scored some goals but is the overall leader of the team.”
Junior War Eagle defender Emmanuel Meraz has also stepped up this season. Meraz is the team’s leading scorer entering this week. His play on the pitch hasn’t gone unnoticed by his second-year coach.
According to Taylor, a lot of the team’s offensive success depends on Meraz, who has been “consistent” this year.
“He’s playing out on the wing and is our backup goalie but has developed upfront as a forward,” Taylor said. “He’s scoring a lot of goals for us this year. He’s been pretty consistent for us through five games.”
Senior midfielders Collin Garofalo and Christian Hernandez, as well as senior defender Walfrey Sanchez, have all made huge differences. Freshman goalkeeper Alexander Jimenez has made some big-time stops, too.
Putnam looks to keep up the intensity and get better as the season goes on. The War Eagles begin region play next week and look to repeat for a fourth consecutive season, which shouldn’t be hard with all their talent.
“We’re looking forward to getting into region (play). I don’t know if there will be much change in how we play, though,” Taylor said. “A lot of them are from Augusta and we’re hoping to do well against them.”
Putnam will face Johnson in Augusta on Thursday to begin region play. Next week, the War Eagles will travel to Laney (3/4) and Washington County (3/7) to continue league competition. All start times are 7:30 p.m.