Blue Jays to field a 'whole mix of kids'

Aug. 14—JAMESTOWN — Entering the first day of practice, Jamestown High School head boys soccer coach Brandi Harty didn't know how things were going to go. The first few days have surpassed her expectations. "It's going really well," Harty said. "The majority of my roster this year doesn't have a lot of varsity minutes and experience. ... It's a whole mix of kids and you never really know how that is going to go. "But, watching some of these kids who had limited minutes last year play the last three days has been so nice," she said. "It's been great to see them mesh well and feel more confident in their play." The Jamestown High School boys soccer team began practices on Aug. 3. Harty and the Blue Jays are coming off another state tournament season. The team advanced to the NDHSAA State Soccer Tournament for the third consecutive time last year. The Blue Jays dropped 2-1 to Minot in the consolation semifinal round of the 2025 NDHSAA State Tournament. Jamestown finished the season at 7-10-2 overall. The Blue Jays lost seven seniors to graduation and are only returning four starters from the 2025 squad. Most of the athletes who will end up being on varsity were either JV players last season or athletes who saw limited varsity minutes. While there isn't much varsity experience among the new group, Harty said the Jays have the know-how at some critical spots — like in the net. Senior Evan Harty made 72 saves against the 95 shots he faced as a junior. He posted four shutouts during last season. "He is going to be a huge role in our defense," Harty said. "His communication is so strong and his ability to direct that back line — it's leaps and bounds better than how he played even last year. I am excited to see how he is going to handle being more of a leader this year." Harty said the Jays' strongest area of the field will be in the midfield. "We have Carson Hatch back as a junior this year," Harty said. "He played a lot of minutes for me last year, but he's matured. Watching him feel more comfortable in his position and his ability to keep the ball because he's getting stronger, that's exciting to see." Also in the midfield will be junior Noah Lorenz. "He played and started for me last year as a sophomore, so he's maturing too," Harty said. "He's put so much time in this summer. I am excited to see him step up in the attack and be more of a goal-scorer from the midfield." Joining Lorenz in the midfield will be Grady Eckart, who has been with the Blue Jay varsity squad since the 2024 season. He ended his junior conference season with two goals and three assists for five total points. "He's an all-around great player," Harty said of Eckart. "He's just a good leader and very solid where he is at. We are challenging him a bit, but he's going to be a big, key player in our attack." While Eckart will be bringing a slew of knowledge and experience to the pitch, Sam Frazier is bringing a bolt of energy. Frazier didn't have much experience playing organized soccer before coming to North Dakota. "He was brand new to our program last year," Harty said. "He has really come into his own. He kind of struggled last year. He was really inexperienced, he wasn't very strong, and he didn't really see that pass. "These first three days, wow," she said. "He's catching on so quickly, and he's really, really grown. He played during the winter and during the summer, and that has helped him understand the game and made him such a phenomenal player. I think he is going to be really strong in the attack as well." Of the players mentioned, only Harty and Eckart recorded official stats from last year, but that doesn't mean the other boys can't compete at a high talent level. "Two years ago, we wanted to change the culture surrounding Jamestown boys soccer," Harty said. "We wanted everybody to know that we are going to consistently compete. "These boys know what we want and what the expectations are," she said. "Even though some of these kids haven't seen a lot of time, they have been around some very competitive players and (these kids) know what they were like as seniors and they know what they have to do to accomplish those goals." The team's first game is scheduled for Aug. 14 at Minot. "Minot always prepares their players really well," Harty said. "They are always going to be competitive. It is always so difficult to go and play there. It's just a tough place to play at. "I think they are going to have some missing pieces though," Harty said. "They don't have a goalkeeper, so they are going to have to fill that spot. There's actually quite a few WDA teams in that position ... and in my opinion, that is a huge position for your back line." Before the team goes toe-to-toe with the Magicians, there is some training that needs to be done. "They don't always like it, but I told them that we are going to be the fittest team in the WDA," Harty said. "That's not always their favorite to hear, but I want to make sure that when they are mentally fatigued, they can push through and finish an 80-minute game. "That's important, especially early in the season," she said. "These first few games can be big points for you and help the ending of your season. "When people come out this year, they are going to see some new faces and they are going to surprise people," Harty said. "These boys are going to surprise a lot of the teams in the WDA, and I am excited to see what some of these kids can do."