Previewing the Goochland spring sports season

ROBBY FLETCHER Sports Editor

This week marks the start of the spring sports season for the Goochland Bulldogs, who return with notable stars from last year, new faces leading programs like the boys soccer team and an exciting journey awaiting the boys lacrosse team that started up at the junior varsity last year.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at what to expect from the various programs representing the Bulldogs in their respective sports.

Tennis

The boys tennis team, coached by Tommy Webb in his fifth year with the program, returns with the same exact starting lineup that they had last season. That familiarity should help them improve from their 7-7 season that ended in the regional quarterfinals.

Like any fan of the team should know, it all starts and ends with what No. 1 player Evan Bernstine can do in his senior season. The decorated star is looking to win his third consecutive singles state title in his final run with Goochland, entering the season as a nationally ranked player. He’ll be a strong candidate for All-Metro player of the year.

Bernstine will pair with senior Alex Peskin again in doubles, with the No. 2 returning after finishing in the regional quarterfinals with Bernstine in the doubles tournament. With another year under his belt, Peskin and Bernstine will be a tough pair to stop.

Seniors Ryan Bowers and Charlie Alston as well as junior Elijah Isom take spots 3-5 in the starting lineup, while sophomore Owen Walton rounds out the lineup with the No. 6 spot.

On the girls team, a strong group of juniors lead the way for an experienced group that coach Brett Alvis says has grown extremely close with each other over the past few seasons. With juniors Anna Stamey, Genevieve

Williamson, Hadley Peskin and Amber Robertson taking the top four spots and senior Kamryn Harris and Mariel Grebe taking the fifth and sixth spots, that sense of familiarity gives the Bulldogs a leg up on the competition entering the new season.

Alvis expects to change the doubles pairings from last year, with the hopes of generating more offense out of those adjustments.

Soccer

The girls soccer team, coached by Jason Funkhouser in his second year with Goochland, will again be fielding a young roster still in the process of rebuilding while competing in the Jefferson District.

The team could potentially feature up to six freshmen in the starting lineup after losing five starters from last year’s team. The midfield likely holds the strongest group of players this season, with senior Malia Hickman and juniors Holly Bermingham and Perry Nuckols being tasked with controlling the middle of the field while helping the progression of their young teammates in the process. Much like last year, playing time on the field will be crucial for the Bulldogs as they steadily rebuild the program.

The boys team sees the return of 12 players with starting experience, but the Bulldogs will be learning a new system under head coach Leon Williams in his first year with the program.

Williams will have plenty of help from his senior class, which forms the core of the team. Seniors Drew Meiller, Jack Corral and Gintas Putinas will patrol the midfield, Conner Doersch will be the one retrieving through balls at striker and David Johnson will lead the defense while Braedon McKeown returns to his role in the net.

Williams describes this year’s team as a skilled, experienced group that plays direct with creativity and is driven and hungry to improve on their 5-13 record from last year. After embracing a tough strength and conditioning program, Williams says the team plans to outwork the opponent and prove they belong among the top teams in the district.

ABOVE: senior evan Bernstine returns with the chance to win his third consecutive class 3 singles state title after claiming his second one in Blacksburg, Virginia last year.

RIGHT: senior attacker adger cardani returns to the boys lacrosse program after scoring 55 goals at the junior varsity level as a junior.

Lacrosse

It’s a big year for the boys lacrosse program that’s still in relative infancy after having its first season last year at the junior varsity level. Now, they’re a varsity squad, and they’re ready to make some noise after going 8-4 last year and bringing back seven starters from that inaugural team.

Head coach Matt Leynes will have a go-to scorer to rely on with