One Last
Ride

Republic’s soccer team lost 10 of its first 11 matches last fall. Then it won 12 of its last 16 and knocked off Branson in the district tournament. Coach Jesus Zuniga would just as soon skip the first part this year.

The schedule isn’t going to make that easy. The Tigers open at the Webb City Kickoff Classic and then get Springfield Catholic, Northwest and Summit Christian in the opening weeks of the season. Getting up to speed quickly will be important.

“A lot of our kids work, so our full squad hasn’t been here (during the summer),” Zuniga said. “But we’re very understanding of that and we’ve talked to them about it. I wanted to get to work right away with them.”

There’s reason to believe the slow start won’t repeat itself, though. Even while Republic was losing early last season, it wasn’t losing by much.

“Those games were all 1-0 games where we didn’t score,” senior goalkeeper Koal Williams said. “So I think scoring is going to be a big factor this year, and I think we have some good goal scorers this year.”

The players also spent their summer watching the World Cup, and it turned out to be a coaching tool Zuniga didn’t have to go looking for. He saw his players draw lessons from the tournament.

“It’s like every four years now all of a sudden we’re the cool kid. Everyone wants to ask us questions about soccer,” he said. “Watching the World Cup now, they understand how valuable defense is, and how a good defense and goalie will keep you in a game. And you might have to just grind out those… wins, which we did quite a few times last year.”

That’s exactly how the Tigers won a year ago. Ten of Republic’s 13 wins were shutouts, and seven of them finished with a score of 1-0.

The team that ground out those wins is largely back, including 13 seniors, and Zuniga has been hearing the same thing about them from other coaches since last year.

“Some coaches said, ‘You guys are a very fun team to watch. You guys don’t have that superstar, but you have a team that would beat any superstar. And I feel like that’s who we are,” he said. “They just want to win as a group. They understand if we lose, it’s as a group.”

On the field, Republic will look a lot like it did last year. They are a possession team, and Zuniga says that’s only possible because many of the players have spent years playing together on the club side. The new formation that contributed to a slow start in 2025 is a year old now, and the Tigers are comfortable enough in it to switch between two or three different looks in a match.

The defense that carried the late-season run is mostly intact, and it starts in goal with Williams.

“I think everyone saw it. Last year he kept us in games,” Zuniga said. “And it’s not just him, it’s the back line. They all listen to each other. They all trust each other. They all communicate.”

Part of what makes Williams good is a keeper most fans never see. Backup Ben Roe, also a senior, is “one person that gets overlooked all the time because he’s not on the field,” Zuniga said. “He’s what makes Koal better, too, because he’s pushing him at practice. They train together, and heaven forbid something happens, Ben can step in.”

The back line in front of Williams returns its two most experienced pieces, with seniors Dylan Garrison and Kaden Fisher bringing back the most varsity minutes in the group.

The midfield includes seniors Isaiah Redman, Micah Wright and Josh Hart. Hart can go anywhere — up top in a three-forward set, left mid, center mid, whatever the formation asks for. Holding it all together is Angel Urquiza. Zuniga dropped him to holding mid last season, where he overcame early nerves as a young varsity player to contribute to the Tigers’ resurgence.

Up front, the biggest change is Maddox Aldridge, who moves from center back to forward. “That’s always a great piece to have, knowing Maddox is a phenomenal center back,” Zuniga said. “But he gives us a threat forward with his speed. He’s lanky, he knows how to use his body.”

He’ll have company up there, with seniors Max Aton, Logan Renkoski and Luis Cruz all in the mix.

Three sophomores could also see playing time. Jathan Ghan played some varsity last year, and Bo Claxton had near-perfect summer attendance and figures to see the field at the varsity level. The third is Morgan Aldridge, Maddox’s younger brother. Zuniga wants his underclassmen to bank some minutes before losing the huge senior class next year.

“I think we have enough key pieces that our level of play doesn’t drop when we go to the bench,” he said. “I can start giving some of these kids some varsity experience to prepare them for next year.”

The Tigers open with a game Thursday at the Webb City Kickoff Classic. Whatever happens there, Williams plans to enjoy it.

“I’m just excited for one last ride,” he said. “I’m excited to have those fun memories like the Webb City game last year, celebrating in the corner with my teammates. That’s my favorite part, is being out here with my team.”