Relentless

Rebels enter Bearden showdown confident team

Maryville junior Ben Ingleston has collected 11 shutouts in 15 games for the unbeaten Rebels. Photos by Pat Morgan

By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row

Oak Ridge — They never let up.

Lazy pass?

Picked, and here they come.

Lose your shape?

Thomas Tisdale startles you with a flick you never saw coming, and top striker Seth Meade is dashing unmarked in on your goal.

Maryville enters enters tonight’s huge district showdown with Bearden unbeaten and confident in the way it plays the game: attack.

“They’re fun to watch,” Rebels coach Nick Bradford said. “In general, they have a real good energy about them at every position. They enjoy playing the game.”

Kickoff at the Kerr Family Soccer Complex at John Sevier is 7 p.m.

Beginning with junior goalkeeper Ben Ingleston — whose goal kicks and punts consistently put the Rebels in the offensive third in a hurry — a young Maryville club (13-0-2) has developed a bevy of scoring options. Meade, a sophomore, has hit the target 18 times in 15 matches, tacking on seven assists. Tisdale’s midfield wizardry has led to nine goals and 10 assists.

Liam Meade, a junior and Seth’s older brother, has found the netting for seven goals and 13 helpers.

Engleston?

Of Maryville’s 13 wins, the Birmingham, England, transplant has put 11 of them in the books by shutout.

“It’s a collective effort, but, when he’s been called on, he’s ready,” Bradford said. “We’ve got some good one-on-one defenders, but they also cover each other well.”

Central defender Ulises Quinones handles the ball at the back with eye-catching skill, and for good reason.

“He’s a converted striker,” Bradford said. “He’s one of the most unselfish guys I’ve ever coached.”

And they never let up. Not for a minute.