It’s been a long road to Bellevue High School for head coach David Smith.
After spending nearly ten years as a coach and educator across the pond with Manchester United Soccer School and Academies and ten more with soccer clubs around Puget Sound, Smith has finally found a home as a Wolverine.
In his second season on the sidelines for Bellevue, Smith has his team off to a 3-3-1 start and perhaps more importantly is laying the foundation for BHS soccer. For a program that has not been to the state tournament in boys soccer since 1981, (then as a 4A school) building a consistent winner will no doubt be a major task. But Smith said he has already seen major improvements over last season, notably that his players now have a better understanding of the breakneck pace he wants his team to practice and play at with. “This year has seen a much smoother and much easier transition,” Smith said. “The team is well drilled in our practice regimen and has a good grasp on our expectations.”
Smith noted that his team graduated somewhere in the vicinity of ninety-percent of their goals from last season and finding strikers early in the season has been a major concern for Smith. The coaches concerns have proven to be justified through the early portion of Bellevue’s schedule. The Wolverines have scored more than two goals only once this season (a 3-1 win over Juanita) and have been held scoreless on two occasions.
Looking to spurn on the offense are seniors Bret Hightower and David Lovas, along with sophomore Ryan Harber. Smith said he has seen improvement in Harber this season both physically and mentally after his initiation into high school soccer last season.
Hightower has played every single minute of the season according to his coach, who describes him as “one of the most talented ballplayers in the state”. Harber also had an impressive stint with Eastside FC and parlayed that experience into a spot in a national showcase with the ODP 1995 team, earning a second-place finish.
Lovas, who was brought up from the JV team during the 2010 season, plays with what Smith calls “devastating pace and a real natural eye for the goal”.
Freshman Garret Jackson and senior Max Lyon form the back line of defense for the Wolverines and Smith touted Lyon as, “an outstanding central defender with great leadership qualities”.
If the Bellevue attack can keep pace with an impressive defensive crew, the Wolverines could become a dangerous team during the second half of the season, when they will play seven of their final eight games at home. That stretch will be capped by a match-up with first-place Sammamish to conclude the regular season.
