By By Austin Bishop/The Meridian Star
TYLER, Texas For the time being, MCC soccer coach Steve Clements is going to get his mind off of soccer and his behind into a tree stand.
While Clements may take a few deer over the winter, he will also try to a bag a few more top-caliber soccer players to go with the players he already had returning for next year.
The Eagles have been in the NJCAA National Tournament in three of the last four years and have won at least one game in the event each year.
That is a tradition Clements hopes to be able to maintain.
While the 2000 Eagles have several outstanding sophomores, there will be some key Eagles returning for their second seasons at MCC next year.
Among them is magnificent midfielder Kahreem Cooke.
Other freshmen on the current squad that started in Sunday's title game win over Bryant &Stratton were sweeper Cecil Noyce, midfielder Garthfield Whyte and striker Jacob McCord.
Another freshman, former West Lauderdale standout Michael Smith, saw extensive action early in the season and will have a lot of experience under his belt when the 2001 season kicks off. D.J. Goolsby of Madison also got key playing time for the Eagles in big games this season.
MCC has won the Region 23 championship in each of the seven years of the program's existence, and has continually beefed up its schedule.
Austin Bishop is a sports correspondent for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at bishops@mississippi.net.