Stampede “Pursuing Excellence” in Year Three

Head coach Cheyne Roberts, right, talks with his players during a drill in practice with the Ocala Stampede at the Ocala Regional Sportsplex in Ocala, Fla. on Friday, May 16, 2021.
Star-Banner Photo/Bruce Ackerman

Ocala, FL - The Ocala Stampede will begin their third season of play on Saturday at 4 p.m. when they visit SW Florida Adrenaline in Naples.

Already, Ocala is a two-time champion of the Southeast Division in the Southern Conference of the Premier Developmental League, reaching the conference semifinals twice and boasting an overall record of 22-6-2.

Unsatisfied, second-year coach Cheyne Roberts said the organization’s catchphrase is “pursuing excellence,” and he spent a good part of the offseason working to build an even stronger roster.

“Any coach wants to continue to get better, and one of the main things I wanted to do was add depth and experience,” said Roberts, whose team went 11-3 (6-1 at its home field, Trinity Catholic) last summer. “I think we have accomplished that.”

Among the top returning players are defenders Ben Knight and Samuel Duininck (a captain in 2021), forward Jack Bailey (eight goals in an injury-shortened season) and keepers Alex Bolowich and Lex Craggs, a Forest High School alum. Additionally, 2021 team members Karamba Janneh and Gabriel Zapponi have come back after spending a year away.

Roberts added he is excited about the arrivals of Division II All-Americans Paco Craig and Ilija Ilic, both of Young Harris College, located in northeast Georgia.

The team has Roberts taking peeks at the future while maintaining an understanding of the need to focus on the present.

“Having success always pushes you to set your standards high,” said Roberts, 26, who suited up in some late-season games last year but said he does not plan to do so this year. “The goal is to perform on the field game by game. Obviously, if you do that correctly, you get results.

“If you lay it all out, a championship is the goal. We have to work hard to achieve that.”