Waynesville High School soccer program celebrates 30 years
Waynesville High School soccer program celebrates 30 years
By Nelson Morgan
This fall sports’ season marks the 30th anniversary of the Waynesville High School soccer program. The Tiger soccer team began play under the direction of Scott Poertner, at the time, a recent graduate of Missouri Southern State University. But the program’s beginnings stem from a service club’s decision almost three years earlier.
The Kiwanis Club of Pulaski County began a youth soccer program in the spring of 1987. Interest grew rapidly and parents began to ask the school district to add soccer as a varsity sport since the youth program ended at age 14. At the September 1988 school board meeting, district business administrator Bob Knight recommended that such a soccer program be added and it was approved. Work began immediately transforming the junior high football field into a larger soccer field for the next fall. (At that time, the middle school was located in downtown Waynesville, about one block from the courthouse.)
Poertner and junior varsity coach Nelson Morgan welcomed 36 players to two-a-days the following August. The Tigers opened their initial season with a hard fought 3-2 home loss to Hillcrest on Sept. 7. They recorded the program’s first win 12 days later, beating Springfield Central 5-2, and later avenged the Hillcrest defeat with an overtime win in the Smithton Tournament.
The team continued to play at the middle school until the new Anderson Field soccer complex opened in 1997. Subsequent improvements have been made at Anderson where the Tigers have claimed a pair of conference titles and were district champions in 2014. Several Tigers have gone on to play in college.
Poertner served one year with the team before returning to coach at his alma mater. The subsequent varsity coaches were Brad Butler, Morgan, Shayne McPherson, Darrell Nickels, Dieter Bock, Josh Scott, and (entering his twelfth season) Mike Armstrong.
Armstrong added to Morgan’s story by saying the following, “Nelson Morgan has given his time, talent and voice to our soccer program. We know we wouldn’t be where we are today without his efforts paving the way.”