Log in

On their way to the top of COC, Tigers' vets and newbies responding well to Owens

Posted

A prototypical "player's coach," Ozark's Zack Owens isn't far enough removed from his own playing days as a Tiger that he can still run with his players.

It's part of the reason he relates so well to them.

"The fact we can joke with him allows us to build better chemistry with him," senior forward Adrian Ortega said. "He's more than just a coach to us, he's a friend."

Owens and Ortega have helped make Ozark the most pleasant surprise in the COC. The Tigers are 10-3 overall and 5-0 in league play after a 5-1 win versus Branson on Tuesday and  share the top spot in the conference standings with Neosho (6-0 and 5-0).

Ozark has been better early on than many figured. The Tigers welcomed back stars in Ortega and goalkeeper Trevor Carlton and a proven commodity in midfielder Caleb Lepant, but have had many newcomers fill starting roles or see significant playing time.

"The junior class has stepped up and we've got some sophomores who have stepped up," Owens said. "We have had 14-15 kids who have scored goals. We're spreading the wealth. It's been good so far."

Owens is confident enough in his team to offer plenty of challenges. 

Two weeks ago, Ozark lost to Kickapoo (9-2) 2-1 in overtime. Last week, the Tigers beat Nixa (6-5) 3-1 on one night and fell to Glendale (11-3) 1-0 the next night. In October, they will go to the Rock Bridge Invitational, take on Springfield Catholic (11-2-1) in a rematch and have conference showdowns with Carthage (9-2) and Neosho.

"We aren't scared to play anyone any night," Owens said. "We want to play the best in the area. You want wins over losses, but in the end I would go 0-25 in the regular season if I got to play the best talent in the state and you could tell me I'd go to the Final Four."

A COC championship would be Ozark's first in Owens' three seasons as head coach.

"We're taking the conference seriously. Each one of those wins we're looking at big-time," he said. "For a team to win a conference title in any sport is a big deal. We're hyping that up. It's one of our major goals."


X
X