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South�s fearsome foursome photo by Jim Craven By Kris Henry The Four Tops, the Fantastic Four, the Four Horsemen. For whatever reason, a grouping of four individuals tends to make a special mark. Not too hot, not too cold, just right. Enter Craig Tomlins, Corey Parks, Josh Neville and Kyle Hadley. The senior foursome have helped carry the South Medford boys soccer team to an undefeated league title and No. 1 seeding heading into Saturday�s state playoff with Tualatin. Game time is 2:30 p.m. at Fichtner-Mainwaring Park. "Those four together are just such a nucleus and the heart and soul of the team," says South Medford coach Dave Potter. "I�ve never had a situation where I�ve had so few seniors. But that old adage quality rather than quantity is really true. "I don�t know if I�ve ever had a situation where the impact has been as great as with these four guys." Surrounded by 12 underclassmen, the seniors� impact has been aided simply by the positions they play. With Hadley in goal, Tomlins at sweeper, Parks as a defensive midfielder and Neville as an offensive midfielder, the Panthers have a solid foundation up the middle of the field. Not surprisingly, South boasts a 10-3-1 overall mark, including a 7-0 SOC campaign, heading into the Class 4A state playoffs. "If you control the middle you control the game," says Tomlins, 17, who is also vice president of the senior class. Of the group, Tomlins is considered the backbone of the team. The three-year starter shows an uncanny knack of tempering the threat of most oncoming attacks. "I think Craig is one of the best players in the SOC, if not the state," says Hadley, 17. "He�s just so controlled in the back. He knows exactly what his limits are and he knows what to do." The Panthers� offensive and defensive attack builds from Tomlins, with Parks one line ahead of the defenders. "With Corey he�s just a scrappy player," says Tomlins. "He wins the ball and he can dribble up and create things." And if Parks can�t get it done, he need only look over to Neville as a more than capable alternative. "Neville is just a master of the ball," says Tomlins. "He won�t give up the ball. Josh and Corey just own the middle." And should any part of that grouping break down, Hadley is there in goal acting as a security blanket. "Kyle sees pretty much everything out there and lets us know what�s going on in the field up front," says Neville, 18. And when he�s not shouting instructions, Hadley�s busy keeping the other team off the board with amazing precision � although he defers most of the credit to his teammates. "I really do depend on them," says Hadley. "I don�t really expect mistakes out of them. When they make a mistake I�m like �Whoa, how did that happen?� because it doesn�t happen very often." Tomlins, Neville and Hadley have had plenty of time to hone their teamwork over the years. The trio have played soccer together since they were 5. Slightly older, the 18-year-old Parks was typically on another team until the group�s high school years. With those years together, the foursome have developed a unique camaraderie. "How well we get along on the soccer field is how well we get along off the field," says Tomlins. "We�re all good friends and hang out together all the time. The four of us just have real good chemistry." They also have a unique relationship with Potter, who allows his seniors the freedom to often run practices and prepare the team for their next opponent. "It�s a mutual respect because he�s the best coach in the conference and maybe one of the best in the state," says Tomlins. "He can have confidence in us and we have confidence in him, and it�s like having five coaches out there." The foursome agree that Potter�s confidence in them is an honor, but all say the coach is the real reason the Panthers find themselves in their current position. "Obviously we want to go far in the state tournament but I�m real happy with the way the season has gone so far," says Parks. "This is something we�ve all four been waiting on. When you�re in the gym and you see all the banners, you just want to carry on the tradition." Potter says that sentiment will continue to be carried on thanks to the work of his four aces. "These boys bring a very positive, meaningful affect to our program," he says. "They set a standard and you want to live up to it." Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.