Jake Dickert skilled a second of readability final December as he mirrored on a season in contrast to some other within the historical past of Washington State soccer.
Amid the uncertainty about what was going to occur with the Cougars sooner or later, Dickert got here to the belief he wanted to cease attempting to tackle every thing — rumors, realignment, the lack of historical past, all of the drama that got here with the collapse of the Pac-12 that left Washington State in school soccer purgatory.
“I feel early on I attempted to battle every thing. And it wasn’t a distraction however you allowed the noise in, proper? As an alternative of simply staying inside and what we will do and the way we’re going to spend money on the way forward for Washington State,” Dickert mentioned. “So I discovered rather a lot about that. I attempted to take all people on and the perfect factor I can do is present the perfect expertise for our gamers, our soccer program that can proceed to let Washington State shine.”
The Cougars, together with Oregon State, will spend the season attempting to show their worth within the reshaped school soccer panorama, and within the course of safe their future past the following two soccer seasons.
The best method to attract consideration and elevate the stature of this system is to win.
“This subsequent yr, we’re going to have a highlight on us. Everybody desires to know what’s going to occur to the Cougs,” Dickert mentioned. “A yr from now, that story goes away. So we’ve got a chance to signify ourselves, our soccer group and why 95% of this group stayed right here, it’s due to this chance and what we will go on the market and do collectively.”
Dickert mentioned the belief that the group wanted to focus inward got here a couple of weeks after the final season ended. The Cougars began final season 4-0 to achieve some nationwide consideration, solely to lose six straight after which wrap up the yr with a 24-21 loss to Washington within the Apple Cup.
“I assumed we might do higher of retaining everybody’s consideration to the each day activity, to doing all your job, to persevering with to get higher every day,” Dickert mentioned.
Washington State ought to have an opportunity to achieve success. Whereas their former Pac-12 brethren are off enjoying within the Huge Ten, Huge 12 and ACC now, the Cougars and Oregon State will play largely in opposition to Mountain West competitors. Washington State’s roster wasn’t raided by the switch portal and the overwhelming majority of the gamers returned to Pullman.
There are questions totally on the defensive aspect of the ball. However Dickert is assured.
“We’ve gone via loads of laborious issues,” Dickert mentioned. “I feel we’ve got a really related group that they like one another and I feel they consider in our imaginative and prescient for them as folks and as gamers.”
Below Middle
John Mateer would be the starter following Cam Ward’s switch to Miami. Mateer has appeared in 12 video games throughout his two seasons and performed sparingly. He’s thrown 19 complete passes in his profession, however provides a operating ingredient to the place.
If Mateer falters, the Cougars can flip to switch Zevi Eckhaus, who was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award as the highest participant on the FCS degree final yr at Bryant.
Defensive Considerations
Washington State might want to substitute 4 key gamers on protection after the lack of defensive linemen Brennan Jackson and Ron Stone Jr. and defensive backs Jaden Hicks and Chau Smith-Wade.
Dickert hopes higher inside defensive position play will assist make up for the lack of Jackson and Stone, and he has excessive hopes for Utah Tech switch Syrus Webster. Within the secondary, Dickert is aware of the primary few video games will probably be wanted to type issues out.
The Schedule
The Cougars will open with Portland State on Aug. 31 earlier than a difficult four-week stretch that can set the tone for the season. Washington State hosts Texas Tech, faces Washington within the Apple Cup performed at Seattle’s Lumen Subject, hosts San Jose State on a brief week and travels to Boise State.
The Cougars additionally face highway journeys to Fresno State, San Diego State and Oregon State within the again half of the season and shut out with Wyoming at residence on Thanksgiving weekend.
