Before summer practices began, Jason Renick was already excited about his Columbus boys soccer team’s prospects.
Although the Explorers graduated star striker Stephen Furze, center midfielder Bah Williams and fullback Thomas Moussa Kone, he liked the crop returning. They were the same group that made the PSAL Class A semifinals a year ago – a program first – and nearly upset top seed Beacon before falling in penalty kicks.
Then, practices resumed, impressive newcomers such as striker Michael Assante and midfielder Frank Osei joined the current club, and Renick’s already immense expectations went through the roof.
“If we don’t get to the finals this year, I’ll be disappointed,” said the coach, entering his eighth year at Columbus.
He has plenty of reasons for optimism. The Explorers return junior forward Alhoussain Bah, senior keeper Besim Berisha and three of the four starting fullbacks in seniors Jorge Palacios, Lamin Janneh, and Shamar Hyatt. Adding to that mix is Assante, a skilled goal scorer who would’ve played last season had he not arrived after the cut-off date. Osei, a senior, came to the school this year.
“They go hard on every single tackle, they are intimidating, they play 100 percent in practice, and in the scrimmages we’ve had,” Renick said. “It’s meshing very well early, which his rare.”
Renick has already seen Asante build chemistry with Bah, who had nine goals and eight assists a season ago. Assante is different from Furze, a speed demon that relied on chasing down through balls. Only a junior, like Bah, Assante can dribble by defenders or overpower them.
“I’ll have these guys for two years and I can build the team around them,” Renick said.
Assante came to Renick late last season, inquiring about the team. Once he passed his physical, he joined the team – but only for practices.
There were times Renick considered using him late in the year. But he didn’t want to upset the balance of last year’s team, which went undefeated in Bronx A, so he kept Assante out of uniform.
Renick has replaced athletic midfielder Tavaree Hyatt with Armando Diallo, a hustling junior that may lack Hyatt’s natural skills but makes up for his shortcomings in other ways. The backline is almost completely intact in front of Berisha, who emerged in the postseason as one of the city’s top keepers. He nearly stole the semifinal away from Beacon with a series of impressive saves.
“He’s just very consistent,” Renick said. “He knows what he’s doing back there. I have 100 percent confidence in him.”
The newcomers and holdovers have Renick feeling that way about his entire side.