Arlington soccer, golfers practicing (slide show)

ARLINGTON – The Arlington High School boys soccer team and girls and boys golf teams are practicing for the spring seasons, which start next week.

By Steve Powell • March 10, 2015 2:51 pm
The Arlington soccer team practices for its first game.
The Arlington soccer team practices for its first game.

ARLINGTON – The boys soccer and golf teams at Arlington High School have large turnouts, but the girls golf team is small.

But that doesn’t mean the girls aren’t going to be good.

The Lady Eagles return two-time state 4A qualifier junior Emmi Modahl. Coach Greg Dailer expects her to return to state, and for junior Natalie Mackey and sophomore Marina Vu to join her.

Sophomore Karli Fisco will probably play at No. 4, but the coach said he doesn’t know because of the team’s youth who will fill out the other two varsity spots. The rest of the squad consists of a couple of sophomores and freshmen.

“We’ll be competitive,” Dailer said.

The boys golf coach, Kevin Coghill, said two of his top returnees from last year have improved a lot.

“They got hooked on the game,” Coghill said of Austin Foe and Conner Stephens.

His other top returnee is senior captain Bishop Kiner. The coach expects sophomore Brian Pettis at No. 4 with three seniors battling out for the final two varsity spots: Blake Smith and former baseball players Blake Hathaway and Jerred Huff.

Coghill said he doesn’t know which teams are the ones to beat, since Arlington is going from a 4A to a 3A school.

Coach Mike Gudgeon said the same thing about the soccer team, but with 13 returnees and 34 turning out, he expects the Eagles to be strong.

Top returnees include: Seigo Hall, a senior midfielder who was all-league as a sophomore, but injured last year; junior goalkeeper Nick McDonald; and sophomore forward Stephen Caponey.

The coach said team defense is its strength, with all of its starters returning. Gudgeon said he is excited about the new turf at Arlington that the Eagles will play their home games on.

“Everything’s being done differently this year because of the faster surface,” he said.

In the past, Arlington played a slower-style game because of its grass field. Since so many of the players are on select teams, most of them have more experience playing on turf fields.

Gudgeon expects rivals Stanwood and Marysville-Pilchuck to be their toughest competitors for the Wesco North title.