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Under First Year Coach, August Martin
Expects Top Seed
BY MATT GAGNE
Tuesday, October 23rd 2007, 12:28 PM
They started early in hopes of going late.
"If I was going to do it, I was going to do it right," said Paul
Herman, a longtime teacher and first-year soccer coach at
August Martin. "We weren't going to wait for school to start
to start practicing, like the team had done in years past.
"We were going to start on Aug. 20 and get in three weeks
of practice before games started. We didn't want to have to
forfeit our first two games (because of missed practice time)
like last year."
The preseason extension has turned into a postseason one,
with no losses to speak of. The Falcons captured the
Queens BII division crown and posted one of the best
records (11-0-1) in the city.
"I don't know how strong the out-of-borough teams are, but I
think we should be a No. 1 seed," Herman said. "Everyone
in the school is talking about the playoffs and us being
undefeated."
The Falcons finished third in the division at 8-4 and
advanced to the city quarterfinals last year, losing to
eventual champ A.P. Randolph.
But Siejipoh (Chris) Farcathy, the Falcons' senior forward
who leads the division with 19 goals, expects to go further
this time around.
"This year we're preparing to win the trophy," he said. "We
were disappointed last year. If we're city champs, we'd be
happy."
Herman, the August Martin baseball coach for the past 13
years, has worked as a high school soccer referee, and has
watched two children go on to play college soccer; his son
will attempt to play with the New Jersey Ironmen in the Major
Indoor Soccer League this winter.
The school had been trying to get Herman to take the
soccer coaching job for several years, he said, and this year
he finally accepted.
"I know the kids were pretty good players," he added. "It
wasn't like I was going in and coaching a developmental
team.
"... I have a good feeling about this, maybe it's
freshman-coach luck."
Expects Top Seed
BY MATT GAGNE
Tuesday, October 23rd 2007, 12:28 PM
They started early in hopes of going late.
"If I was going to do it, I was going to do it right," said Paul
Herman, a longtime teacher and first-year soccer coach at
August Martin. "We weren't going to wait for school to start
to start practicing, like the team had done in years past.
"We were going to start on Aug. 20 and get in three weeks
of practice before games started. We didn't want to have to
forfeit our first two games (because of missed practice time)
like last year."
The preseason extension has turned into a postseason one,
with no losses to speak of. The Falcons captured the
Queens BII division crown and posted one of the best
records (11-0-1) in the city.
"I don't know how strong the out-of-borough teams are, but I
think we should be a No. 1 seed," Herman said. "Everyone
in the school is talking about the playoffs and us being
undefeated."
The Falcons finished third in the division at 8-4 and
advanced to the city quarterfinals last year, losing to
eventual champ A.P. Randolph.
But Siejipoh (Chris) Farcathy, the Falcons' senior forward
who leads the division with 19 goals, expects to go further
this time around.
"This year we're preparing to win the trophy," he said. "We
were disappointed last year. If we're city champs, we'd be
happy."
Herman, the August Martin baseball coach for the past 13
years, has worked as a high school soccer referee, and has
watched two children go on to play college soccer; his son
will attempt to play with the New Jersey Ironmen in the Major
Indoor Soccer League this winter.
The school had been trying to get Herman to take the
soccer coaching job for several years, he said, and this year
he finally accepted.
"I know the kids were pretty good players," he added. "It
wasn't like I was going in and coaching a developmental
team.
"... I have a good feeling about this, maybe it's
freshman-coach luck."
| August Martin High School 156-10 Baisley Boulevard, Jamaica, New York 11434 Phone: (718) 528-2920 Anthony Cromer, Principal © 2007 August Martin. All rights reserved. |