Panthers continue upward ascent under Tony Csiszar – Morning Journal

In high school athletics, a handful of years can seem like an eternity — especially in soccer.

From 2015-2022, the Elyria Catholic boys soccer program had one nine-win season, and each season ended with a losing record and at least 11 or 12 losses (minus a 3-8-3 showing in 2017).

From 2005 to 2014, the Panthers had a winning record almost every year, with a .500 showing of 7-7-2 in 2009 the least successful season over those 10 years, with multiple 15-plus win seasons. Elyria Catholic qualified for the regional round six times and a handful of district rounds, losing heartbreakers by one or two goals.

Following 10 years of excellence and eight years of futility, Elyria Catholic second-year head coach Tony Csiszar has turned the program around. Even after being bounced in a sectional final by then-conference rival Rocky River last October, the Panthers posted a 10-7-0 record in 2023. They are 3-1-0 in 2024 through Sept. 3.

“We have a lot of seniors, so it’s an older team,” Csiszar said of the team’s early confidence following a Sept. 3 win over Benedictine and on potential struggles ahead.

“They have egos, and that makes it challenging,” Csiszar smiled. “Just trying to get everybody’s mindset right at halftime and remind them ‘Hey everybody, it’s all about the team.’ It’s always family here and I try to teach these kids that it’s a family when you trust each other and treat each other well, good things happen. This team will continue to shine in every moment if they continue to do that.”

Senior captain Cole Varndell has seen the change, including how the team distributed the ball when fellow captain and scoring machine Hezekiah Garcia had extra coverage. He scored two goals against the Bengals and the team has followed up a good 2023 with a solid 2024 so far.

“Hezekiah is a very good player,” Varndell said. “When they make him unavailable, it creates those opportunities for me and the others. “It’s helping our team get goals and win the game in front of us.”

Nelson Perez — a junior starter who didn’t join the Panthers’ soccer side until last year — was another beneficiary of how Csiszar has turned the program’s star upward and developed a strong team bond. While he wasn’t on the 2022 team, he experienced the highs of last fall and how Csiszar has brought the team together.

“Tony has been pushing us so much in practice. “He makes us run out there,” Perez grinned while containing a chuckle. “It’s incredible! It’s good how our team has the strong character of not giving up — even through the toughest times. “We might think ‘We can’t do this anymore’, but we keep pushing because we want the results and we want to win.”

The culture instilled by Csiszar is contagious in the best way possible to get all the players to buy in, an assessment Perez couldn’t agree more with.

“It creates a different environment and also creates a different game play,” Perez said. “How the ball moves and how it all starts and finishes. It’s not going to be easy — this season is going to be tough. But we’re going to fight through it and keep going no matter what.

“We might be in the biggest slump, but we’re not going to give up. We won’t throw our hands up walk away. “We’re going to keep fighting until we get what we want, and we’re going to go all the way.”

Originally Published: September 5, 2024 at 5:20 pm