He said the Montezuma-Cortez High School boys soccer games may be "boring to watch." However, that’s only because the Panthers will be real methodical in their passes and they will not be playing out of control. Look for the Panthers to put a major emphasis on defense.

Todd Starr took over the reins of the program earlier this summer when Jim Schulz resigned.

"Fans will see a boring game," he remarked. "They probably won’t like to come and watch my team play. We are going to build real slow from the back. I am more interested in preventing scores than making a bunch of scores. Truly, that’s the way the game should be played. You look at why the Brazilians have been so successful and it’s because of defense."

"Defense and contain is the name of the game and that’s what I hope to bring to these guys. Understanding that defense is not played on the defensive side of the field. It is played on the opposite side of the field," he noted.

That is not to say the Panthers this fall will not try to put the ball into the net.

"We will play an offense using short passes (Brazilian style utilized successfully by former MCHS coach Kevin McGarigal a few years back). I don’t want to discourage the upperclassmen but it will be harder for them to learn. We have a large number of freshmen and sophomores coming in. We need to get a hold of them right now and teach them that style (tactical). I think then when they are juniors and seniors it will become natural for them and it should be clicking for them. We want them to feel comfortable in playing that way," he commented.

The soccer field is divided into thirds. There is the attacking third, midfield, and back.

"In that attacking third I want them to do something dangerous with the ball. I want them to take risks, although I want them to be calculated. If they dribble on somebody and lose the ball, that’s okay just as long as they learned something. I try to tell the kids there is no such thing as a bad shot, if the shot was there in the offensive third. You are at least making the other side think," he said.

Look for the team to play the ball up the middle and then out to the wings when on offense.

Key players returning include seniors Joe Siracusan and Cody Beaver, who attends Dolores High School. Juniors back are Jeff Yarbrough, Jared Sanders, and Garrett Andrews. Sophomores returning with some varsity playing time last season are Omar Pena, Tyler Gilstrap (DHS), and Aaron Phelps (DHS).

Junior Dusty Bell has played soccer but is not a returnee from last year. Other sophs back to the program but who have limited or no varsity experience include John Phelps, John Cullington, Matt Persey, Jeremy Jazlowski, Greyson Andrews, and Zach Newell.

Incoming freshmen are Bill Andre, David Schmidlap, Josh Peck, and Ian Cain. Schmidlap, incidentally, just returned from competing at the Regional Dribble, Pass and Shoot Competition, sponsored by Major League Soccer, in Denver.

The goalie position will probably be split between Bell and Andrews. Bell will probably spend more time there because Andrews is too valuable in the field.

The defense is being built around Siracusen, who is a defender. Yarbrough also has been working hard lately. Beaver, Gilstrap and Phelps will be in the stalwarts in the middle. Starr said Beaver, Gilstrap and Siracusen have really been playing well.

Offensively, Jazlowsky will be one striker. Another key player is Andrews.

"I’m really excited to be the head coach. I’m looking forward to this season," Starr remarked.

He would like to be in for the long haul as head coach. After seeing the talent coming up, he thinks that in two or three years if the players grasp what they need to learn, will be nearly unstoppable. Soccer is such a beautiful game when it is played right, he said.

"I’m not reserved in my styling of coaching. That may rub some of them wrong. But what I hope is to go out and teach these kids the best I can. I want to try and create a quality, disciplined program. If I do that, then hopefully I will survive for the long haul. If not, I will still stay active in this game. I will continue to play it and be a part of it," he said.

The Panthers open the 2000 season by hosting (changed from visiting) Pagosa Springs on Saturday, Sept. 2. Cortez visits Aztec, N.M., on Sept. 5. They open the Class 4A Southwest League season on Sept. 8 at Fruita-Monument. They visit Montrose on Sept. 9.

They visit Farmington High for a non-conference clash on Sept. 12 and then host Aztec on Sept. 19. The Panthers visit Durango on Sept. 26. They host Central of Grand Junction on Sept. 29 and Grand Junction High Sept. 30. They visit Kirtland-Central in Kirtland, N.M., on Oct. 3.