Document text
Ashland coach Eisa Tiaa Tou Tou gets in on the action during Monday's boys soccer practice. Ashland does Tou Tou step to top of SOC By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN ASHLAND -- Second-year Ashland High boys soccer coach Eisa Tiaa Tou Tou made an immediate impression on the rest of the Southern Oregon Conference last fall. Tou Tou coached the Grizzlies, once considered a breather on the schedule for the traditional SOC powers, into a tie for the league title during his first year on the job. Photo by Jim Craven Under Tou Tou's watchful eye the Grizzlies have climbed to the top of the SOC standings. Ashland, known for its dominant football teams, suddenly had a different sort of "football" championship by the time winter approached in 1998. One year later, Tou Tou is turning more heads, as the Grizzlies sit in command atop the SOC with just two matches to play in the conference season. After finishing in a three-way tie for the SOC title last fall, Tou Tou's unbeaten Grizzlies (8-0-4, 5-0 SOC) are one win from clinching the outright league championship and the No. 1 berth in the Class 4A state playoffs. "We have the ability to go a long way in the state playoffs," says Tou Tou. "Our expectations are high, but you never know what might happen in soccer." What transformed Ashland from a traditional loser into a league champion? "It was a matter of giving the kids some direction and discipline," says Tou Tou. "They've had good players here for quite a while." The Grizz coach, a former member of the Sudan national team who played in the 1980 Olympic Games for his country, gets his players' attention as soon as he walks onto the field and starts barking out orders. "He's a strong person, and all of his players respect him," says senior fullback Jonny Armstrong of the Grizzlies. "We all respect him for his background as a soccer player for his country and what he did in the game. We know he knows what he's talking about when he teaches us." Tou Tou, a goalkeeper turned forward, still occasionally plays against and with his players at the end of practice. "He still has great skills but he's losing his legs (running speed)," said one Ashland player, laughing. "Before he got here, this group (of players) had a problem handling authority," says Armstrong. "For some reason, it was hard for us to respect other coaches. "But with Eisa, the respect came immediately." Fullback Dustin Wasserman says Tou Tou helped draw the seniors on the team together as leaders and players. "Most of us are about equally skilled," says Wasserman. "There's a lot of talent in the group. "What Eisa did was bring the talent together and help us learn to play together. Now, we're more than friends. There's a genuine love out there and we play hard for each other. And we don't want to let our coach down." Tou Tou stresses precise passing and team play during his lengthy practices. Passing drills are the order for as much as half of the three-hour practices. "They do it until they get it right," says Tou Tou. "For instance, they have to be able to dribble and pass without looking down at the ball. Most of them couldn't do that at all when we started. "Now, a lot of them can do it, but we're still working on it." The Grizzlies are a mixture of individual players with skills that Tou Tou has blended into one unit. He has also enhanced their skills with his knowledge of offensive fundamentals. "Because of my background, I have a lot of knowledge of how to properly pass, dribble and shoot," he says. "You learn the little things that help you do all those things faster and better." Sophomore Jesse Hodges leads the Grizzlies in scoring with eight goals and sophomore Scott Beaver leads in assists with seven. But the heart and soul of this team is in its "Big Nine" group of seniors: midfielder James Kinard, midfielder Eric Sharp, stopper Will Dolan, sweeper Zack Potocki, striker Peter Grossman, midfielder Trevor Streng, defender Mike McNamara, Wasserman and Armstrong. The seniors combined to finish second in the state President's Cup under-14 competition in 1995. That started their successful run, according to many observers. "It's been a talented group all the way along," says Scott Kurtz, president of the Ashland Soccer Club. "They needed a good coach to pull it all together." The defense is led by Potocki, who Tou Tou calls "my minister of defense." The coach says Dolan is "the fastest player in the Southern Oregon Conference." Says Tou Tou: "That's why I put him at stopper. He gets to most balls, and disrupts the other team constantly." Referee and former South Medford boys soccer head coach Aksel Andersen says Tou Tou is a great addition to soccer in the Rogue Valley. "Eisa and I go back about 23 years to when we played professionally for the Continentals team," says Andersen. "It was a devastating team and Eisa was a big part of it. "He's a great guy and a very good coach," says Andersen. "Ashland is the best passing team in Southern Oregon, thanks to Eisa. "They play the European style of soccer," says Andersen. "They play a one- and two-touch style of passing and then they pass the ball back to the far side and attack from the weak side," says Andersen. "His team is always attacking." And scoring. The Grizzlies have outscored 12 opponents 32-9. Junior goalkeeper Noah Shields has recorded five shutouts. "I demand a lot of them, but they have grown to like it," says Tou Tou. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.