Sports: Expectations are high for Bucs

Expectations are high for Bucs

Berkeley Prep has so many weapons that Bucs coaches are still figuring out the best way to use them all.

By MIKE READLING

TAMPA -- Berkeley Prep coach Ken Roberts seems more laid back than ever as he stands and watches his Buccaneers stretch before a recent practice.

Oh, the typical warm-up pants and windbreaker jacket are there along with the ever-present smile. But there is something different. Something which could almost be confused with unbridled confidence.

"I really think this would be a disappointing season if this team doesn't make it to the final four," Roberts said of his girls soccer team.

Bear in mind, this is a coach talking about a tournament which is still a season away.

"I think I can say that because of the depth we have this year," Roberts continued. "If we have injuries like we had last year, we should be able to overcome them this year. If we lose a starter, we have people waiting on the sideline to take their place."

That depth is one of things that will make Berkeley Prep, victims of Orangewood Christian in the regional semifinals each of the past two seasons, one of the top teams in the state this season.

Unfortunately, the Bucs are already having to utilize their depth. Gone for the season is Alyssa Riess, the team's returning leading scorer, who went down with a torn meniscus in January. After rehabbing the injury, Riess reinjured the knee in August while playing with the Tampa Bay Extreme club team.

She traveled to Birmingham, Ala., and underwent surgery on her anterior cruciate ligament Aug. 22 and is not expected to be back on a field until late February or March.

"A lot of people were counting on me last year to be where they wanted me to be," Riess said.

"But I knew last year when I got hurt, just like I know this year, that they'd be fine."

An illustration of how different this Berkeley team is as compared to last year's came in the Bucs' season-opening win over Tampa Prep on Tuesday night.

Berkeley won the game 6-0. Five different Bucs scored. Last year, they scored seven times against the Terrapins -- Riess had them all.

Now, rather than counting on Riess to handle most of the scoring, Berkeley features a multipronged attack. An attack that Roberts himself is still trying to figure out how to harness properly.

"I have so many kids with so much talent it's hard for me to find a place for them all on the field," Roberts said.

"Because of that, I still haven't settled on a formation. I may even vary what formation we play depending on what personnel we have on the field."

Leading the way for Berkeley will be seniors Melissa Aylor, Kristy Eberbach, Evan Pruitt and Alexie Riofrio along with freshman Cally Stolbach. Those are five of the main components of what is sure to be a more balanced and more dangerous attack.

"We've normally been more of a powerhouse in the past, but now this whole team is a big force," Pruitt said. "Instead of a few players, you have to worry about this whole team. We're going to rock."

The biggest problem for Berkeley, according to assistant coach Jeannie Barrow, is going to be figuring out which part of the team is the most dangerous.

Until the Bucs jel as a team and learn to communicate with each other, the state won't know the whole Berkeley potential.

"One of our weaknesses is going to be finding our strength," Barrow said. "There was so much emphasis on Alyssa last year. But this year we are going to come at people from so many different angles. We have to learn how to exploit those and use them to our ultimate potential."

For the fans

ADMISSION: Most schools charge $3.

REGULAR SEASON: Schools play no more than 28 games in the regular season. The regular season started Monday and may not run past Jan. 30.

KEY DATES: Nov. 21 -- Chamberlain at Gaither; Nov. 28 -- Berkeley Prep at Tampa Catholic; Dec. 1 -- Durant at Bloomingdale; Dec. 8 -- Gaither at Bloomingdale; Dec. 12 -- Bloomingdale at Durant; Jan. 3-5 -- King tournament; Jan. 19 -- Gaither at Durant; Jan. 19 -- Tampa Prep at Berkeley Prep; Jan. 25-26 -- Western Conference tournament.

PLAYOFFS: The district tournament champion and runner-up advance to the regional playoffs. There are three rounds of regional playoffs. The winner of each regional (four teams in each class) advances to the state tournament in Tallahassee on Feb. 22-24.

CLASSIFICATIONS: Schools are divided by enrollment into four classifications ranging from the largest schools in Class 4A to the smallest in Class A. -- Compiled by SCOTT PURKS