Deseret News
Waterford's midfielder expect to lead the way
by Dan Rasmussen, Deseret News
SANDY — As Spencer Linsley goes, so goes Waterford.
That may be an oversimplification, but when it comes to the state-championship aspirations of Waterford's boys soccer team, it's pretty clear that Linsley will be the anchor.
The hugely talented central midfielder can do it all: He's a sleek passer of the ball. He sees the field extremely well. His finishing is suburb. And to top it off, he can track back and defend, too.
Throughout the 2007 season, expect Waterford to rely on Linsley to lead the way.
"It's pretty obvious that our engine is Spencer. We wanna go through him," said coach Bob Capener. "If you watch the U.S. play, if they go through (Landon) Donovan, they look great. If he's marked out of the game, they don't look so good.
"We're gonna have to find ways to keep him free."
Linsley logged key minutes during Waterford's run to the 3A title game two seasons ago, and he burst onto the prep soccer scene in 2006. With Waterford breaking in a host of new players, he led the Ravens to the quarterfinals of the 3A playoffs. From his central-midfield position, he scored 15 goals and helped set up a host of others.
Now he's back for his senior campaign.
Undoubtedly, Waterford will look to get the ball to his feet as often as possible. His passing can be sublime at times, and he almost always makes the right decision, whether it's stroking the ball to a teammate two yards away or switching the play with a cross-field pass of 60 yards.
Opposing coaches have obviously figured out that they better mark No. 2 tightly for 80 minutes or they'll be in big trouble, but Capener hopes the quality of Linsley's teammates will make it tough for opponents to focus solely on him.
"The thing that we have this year that will leave him a little more freedom is we have a lot of speed up front," said Capener. "That gives me some hope that people won't be able to just key on Spencer."
Linsley led by example a season ago, and Capener and Co. have pegged him to fill a much more overt leadership role in 2007. He was chosen as one of Waterford's three captains before the season began, and because of injuries, he was the lone captain on the field at times during the first month of play.
"I feel that on the pitch, not only with the way I play, but also with my attitude toward the game, I really need to be an example for the rest of my teammates," he said.
Some of that lead-by-example mentality bears itself out in his willingness to track back and defend.
"The thing that he does for me that I just love, the guy plays both ways on the field," said Capener. "I ask him to be an offensive-minded halfback, and he's comin' back and chasing guys down. And he can do it all game long."
After high school, Linsley said he's planning to attend the University of Utah while playing another year of club soccer. After that, he's going to try and play at the next level.
"I want to transfer and play collegiate ball somewhere," he said.
If collegiate coaches catch a glimpse of his film, that shouldn't be a problem.
Rankings
(Based on standings through April 9)
1. ROWLAND HALL: The Winged Lions have built their hard-working squad around a talented midfield, which is led by Robbie Hull and Walker Adams. It's not just them, however. Sweeper Donny White is stout at the back, and Jared Accettura and Alex Gardner are quality forwards. Rowland Hall notched a huge win over Waterford recently, and it'll look to build on that momentum as the season progresses. 2006 RECORD: 2-7. PLAYOFFS: Did not qualify in 3A.
2. ST. JOSEPH: The Jayhawks lost a ton of talented players off last year's team, but they've adjusted very well so far. Sweeper Eli Kenny, a senior, has been outstanding in defense. At the other end, Sebastian Majda has been finishing the ball in the net. Expect St. Joseph to be in the mix for the state title alongside Waterford and Rowland Hall. 2006 RECORD: 12-2-1. PLAYOFFS: Lost in first round of 3A playoffs.
2. WATERFORD: Senior central midfielder Spencer Linsley headlines this bunch, and the Ravens will look for him to lead their attack throughout the campaign. Anything short of a state title will be considered a disappointment for tradition-rich Waterford, which will move up to Class 3A next year. In addition to Linsley, watch out for several players. Among them are sweeper Taylor Rasmussen, forward Chris Biscupovich, Tim Liu and Matt Duke. 2006 RECORD: 9-4-1. PLAYOFFS: Lost in 3A quarterfinals.
4. SOUTH SUMMIT: The 2007 season got off to a rocky start for the Wildcats, but they've shown signs of improvement since. South Summit competed for years with Waterford, St. Joseph, Rowland Hall and others in 3A before the new 2A league was created. Through the first month of the season, Spencer Queory and David Calicchio had scored several goals for the Wildcats. Should South Summit qualify as the No. 4 seed from Region 14, it could cause problems in the postseason. 2006 RECORD: 1-9-1. PLAYOFFS: Did not qualify in 3A.
5. AMERICAN LEADERSHIP ACADEMY: Life has been tough for the first-year Spanish Fork school as the Eagles have been steam-rolled by several teams. ALA played its first-ever boys soccer game against Jordan, ranked No. 1 in 5A, and it's had to play Waterford, St. Joseph and Rowland Hall since. Carlton Haywood scored the Eagles' first goal in team history during a loss to St. Joseph. 2006 RECORD: N/A. PLAYOFFS: N/A.