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Ex-Pirate now gives Warriors a boost
By BRIAN SUMERS
Published August 31, 2006
CRYSTAL RIVER - Chris Dobson wants to make himself perfectly clear. The Seven Rivers Christian senior stands 5 feet 7 - and a quarter. "Depends on what boots he's wearing that day," his coach, Steve Ekeli, joked. But who knows? The extra quarter inch might be helpful as the height-challenged forward seeks a college soccer scholarship. Still, if those same college coaches watch game tape of Dobson playing for Seven Rivers, they might be even more impressed. "It you ask me how tall Chris Dobson is, he's an 8-foot giant because that's how hard he plays," Ekeli said. Ekeli, who also has led the Warriors for four seasons, coached Dobson last year at Crystal River. Dobson, 17, transferred to Seven Rivers during the summer for stronger academics, he said. The Warriors, a Class A program, play soccer in the fall, so Dobson has already started dominating slightly weaker competition. In his first game, a 9-1 victory against Tampa Berean, he scored four goals. "I try not to put myself on a pedestal," Dobson said. "I try to stay on the same level as the team. I don't boast or brag." Still, playing well in fall soccer will not help Dobson attract much attention. That's why he skips some Warriors practices to play for the Hernando Heat, a competitive club team. The Heat will play in the Atlanta Cup this weekend, a tournament filled with some of the nation's top talent. The coach from one of Dobson's top college choices - Florida Gulf Coast University - is expected attend. The school, located in Fort Myers, will join Division I next season. Dobson also is looking at some Division II and III programs. No matter where he goes, he'll need to impress coaches this fall, because in the winter he'll be on a soccer hiatus. No club team. No high school team. Just a lot of free time. Dobson said he does not mind. "I like it a lot better," he said. "I don't like being cold. I'm a Florida boy." Nonetheless, he'll miss playing with his old Pirates teammates. "I've grown up with them," Dobson said. Brian Sumers can be reached at bsumers@sptimes.com or 564-3628.
[Last modified August 31, 2006, 06:02:14]
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Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
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