FLORENCE, S.C. – Francis Marion University men’s
soccer coach Kevin Varnado has announced that a group of nine
newcomers will join the Patriot program for the 2008 season. The
group includes goalkeeper John Beck of Columbia; forward Adam
Dillihay of Columbia; midfielders Matthew Drapeau of Bonaire, Ga.,
Cameron Mabee of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Emerson Peredo of
Boise, Idaho, and Adrian Sikorski of Inglewood, Ontario, Canada;
and backs Sawyer Frank of Lake in the Hills, Ill., Julian Ramjohn
of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, and Adrian Williams of Ajax, Ontario,
Canada.
Eight of the newcomers are freshmen, while Ramjohn will join the
program as a sophomore.
“I have high expectations for our signees,” Varnado
said. “We have a core of last year’s squad coming back,
but in losing five seniors, I wanted to bring in players who could
develop and fill those voids. We will be young on the surface (one
senior on the roster), but we have a lot of experience coming back
with the returnees.”
Both Beck, 6-0, and Dillihay, 6-1, are graduates of Dreher High
School, where they played for coach Matt Hornsby. They helped lead
the Blue Devils to a 15-8 record, a No. 8 state-wide ranking, and
an appearance in the AAA state tournament quarterfinals.
“John has a great athletic build, possesses loads of
potential, and will immediately strengthen our goalkeeping
crew,” Varnado said. “Adam is an excellent athlete with
good size. He will give us a physical dynamic, and I am excited
about the aspect of watching him grow as a college player.”
Beck also played with the Columbia United FC club, and Dillihay is
a product of the Lexington Soccer Club.
Drapeau, 6-3, is a product of Warner Robins High School, where he
helped lead the Demons to the 2008 Region 1 AAAAA championship.
“Matthew is a very intelligent player who understands and
reads the game well. He will give us more depth in the
midfield.”
Mabee, 5-9 and 155 pounds, is a graduate of Cawthra Park School,
where he played for coach Jody Miller. He captained the team as a
senior. He also played on the Ontario Cup U17 championship squad,
and is a former club teammate of current Patriot Ivan Juric.
“He can play a number of positions and that versatility was a
very attractive attribute to us.”
Peredo, 5-3, comes to Francis Marion from the prestigious
Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Minnesota, where he played for
coach Tim Carter. During the 2007-08 season, the Sabres tallied a
33-5-6 mark and a Top 5 national ranking. “Emerson is very
talented and comes from one of the top soccer programs in the
country. He is technically gifted and will improve our midfield
play with his ability on the ball.”
Sikorski, 5-11 and 150 pounds, is a graduate of Robert F. Hall
C.C.S, where he played for coach Vadori. He also played for the
Oakville Blue Stars of the Ontario Youth Soccer League.
“Arian is exceptionally versatile, and can play any position
on the field. He is talented, but even at this point I am not sure
what position will be his best.”
Frank, 6-1 and 170 pounds, is a product of Crystal Lake Central
High School. He played under the direction of coaches Jay
Schwarzrock and Josef Schroeder, a former FMU All-American in the
1990s. Sawyer earned All-Area and All-Conference honors as a
senior, and was an honorable mention All-Sectional selection as the
Tigers posted a 10-11-1 record. He also played with Chicago Soccer
FC, a very strong club program. “Sawyer has a great deal of
potential, and could develop into a very strong
defender.”
Ramjohn, 5-8 and 145 pounds, is a transfer from the Sheridan
Institute, where he helped lead the Bruins to a 7-2-0 mark this
past season. He is a graduate of St. Edmund Campion school, and
played on the 2007 AAA/AAAA ROPSAA championship squad and earned
his squad’s Coaches Award. He earned U17 All-League Team
honors after playing in the United Soccer League’s Super-Y
League North American finals. His team was also a Super-Y League
finalist in 2007. He has played with the Toronto Lynx Jrs.
“Julian already has collegiate experience and will be able to
contribute immediately. He is a very dynamic player for a defender
and can attack from the backline.”
Williams, 5-9 and 160 pounds, is a product of Ajax High School.
“I am very excited about Adrian joining our program. He is
physically very mature and will be able to step right in and
contribute. He has lots of potential and will likely play at
central defender.”
Varnado returns 11 lettermen, including six starters, from last
season’s 5-12-1 squad that placed sixth during the Peach Belt
Conference regular season.
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