Boys soccer in rebuilding mode

This year's Columbia Falls High School boys soccer team will have some growing to do. The squad features six returning sophomores, nine freshmen and five seniors.

"We'll have a developmental team this year," coach Peter Browne said.

Seniors include Dylan Corbett, Talon Stringer, Anthony Correa, Kevin Shea and Alex Vanhorn. The squad also welcomes Luke Kazlauskas and Austin Martin.

Martin and Kazlauskas both play basketball, and last year Kazlauskas was a running back on the junior varsity football team.

The soccer team is athletic, but will have to work on their ball skills.

"We're untested," Browne said. "The seniors have started to work hard ... We've got some talent but we're pretty inexperienced."

Last year's season was a wash - more than half the team was suspended for drinking on a road trip. Players who weren't suspended drew some junior varsity games.

So there's some rebuilding to do, but Browne holds optimism.

"We need three or four players to step it up to have a competitive varsity squad," he said. "I think we'll win some games."

This year, the division sends three teams to the state playoffs, so the Wildcats, green or not, could get into the playoff picture.

The boys open their season Saturday, Aug. 27, with a 1 p.m. home game against Stillwater Christian School.