Head Coach Justin Cook and JHS' co-captains Chase Chamberlain and Chase Cook. | Photo by Ashley Helliwell
Exciting things have happened on the soccer pitch at Cooksey-Johns Field this season.
First-year Jonesboro Hurricane head coach Justin Cook has brought a youthful attitude and excitement to his squad and that has turned into goals and wins on the field.
Hurricane Warning
The attacking system the Hurricane has run this year is different than in past seasons. Cook has installed a system with three center midfielders, which is unique to high school soccer.
“We have a traditional center mid, one center mid that plays a true center mid and one’s an attacking center mid,” Cook shared. “All of them are allowed to go up and all of them are expected to get back. They all have their own individual roles around midfield that I haven’t really seen at center.”
The system is designed to give JHS more scoring chances on offense, while gambling a little that they can get back if needed on defense.
“It offers an extra attacker on offense which gives us more chances of scoring goals, but it also helps us control the entire centerfield,” Cook explained. “If you can control the center of the field you’re more likely to win the game. By having the attacking center mid, we can score the goal, but at the same time we have responsibilities on defense. But our main push is to get the extra chances to score that goal.”
Throughout the season the attacking style has reaped several benefits for the Hurricane as JHS has pounded the back of the net on multiple occasions, including a 10-0 beatdown against Marion and a 7-0 win over Nettleton back in February.
“It’s a big transition, because we’ve taken them from playing a certain way then we come in and kind of throw a wrench in it and change the way they’ve been doing things their whole life,” Cook said. “But it’s working and when they do it well, it works out perfect and you can’t really stop us.”
Cook shared some of the goals he had in mind for his team when his first season at the helm began earlier this spring.
“To play together, keep our heads on straight, beat the teams that we have failed to beat in the past, Searcy and Mountain Home,” Cook said. “And then to ultimately play for a state championship.”
In the season’s first meeting against 6A-East rival Mountain Home, the Hurricane squad battled to a 1-1 tie in mid-March in Jonesboro. The result kept the team unbeaten on the season, in addition to being a confidence booster to hang with the perennial soccer champs.
“In the past two years they both have been dominant,” Cook said of the Bombers and Lions, “But we have the team I think we can do it this year.”
JHS started the year with 11 consecutive wins as they quickly took to Cook’s attacking style of play. Their first defeat of the year didn’t come until ten days in April during their second meeting of the season with Searcy. The Lions beat an injury-riddled Hurricane squad 4-1. Down the stretch of the season the Hurricane’s list of injuries has sounded a lot like their entire roster, slowing their momentum, but the injuries can’t take away the accomplishments this JHS team has already achieved and the ones that are now within sight in the future.
Chase and Chase
Both of the team’s co-captains this year are juniors for the Hurricane, but Chase Chamberlain and Chase Cook are no strangers to soccer. Both captains have played on the same soccer team for a long time. Way back to the time when Hurricane soccer was just a club sport and even in community leagues before that dating back to the age of five according to both players’ estimates.
Neither captain feels like he has to take a demonstrative role amongst their teammates, however. Simply playing the right way and taking care of their business on the field goes along way in doing the talking for them.
“I don’t really start yelling at people if they do something bad or anything like that, it’s more by example,” Chamberlain shared.
The hard work of both captains as well as the dedicated work of the entire team and the large junior class has made the difference this season according to Cook.
“Not only the teamwork and attitude, but the leadership that our juniors have stepped up and taken over … as long as they keep their heads on right their leadership kind of carries over to the other guys.”
A Passion for Soccer
A former Hurricane star on the soccer field, JHS’ first-year coach was more than excited when the opportunity presented itself to coach his favorite sport at his alma mater.
“Soccer is definitely my biggest passion,” Cook shared. “If I had to choose between any sport I’d definitely pick soccer.”
Cook began coaching at JHS in the fall as part of Randy Coleman’s staff on the JHS football team.
“They put me as an assistant football coach in the fall so I could get coaching experience, luckily I’ve had my Dad who’s been coaching for many years … so he’s helped me out a lot from what he’s learned. I’ve just been trying to carry that over with these guys and so far it’s worked.”
The team’s captains appreciate the energy around the program, sparked by their young head coach.
“He likes to get out there and show us the ropes. He tries to show us what to do, but he doesn’t do it very well,” Chamberlain jokes a couple feet away from his smiling coach.
Chase Cook is Justin’s younger brother and commented on playing for his older brother.
“It’s tough,” Chase says with a deep sigh, then breaks into a laugh revealing his jab at his older brother and coach.
“It’s really a whole family thing,” Justin said.
During his own playing days at JHS, Cook was a talented midfielder while playing for his father. Following high school, Cook went to ASU to get his degree before later being met with the opportunity to return to coach at JHS.
The coach and his two co-captains all strive to get the word out about their favorite sport. They each say it’s the most-exciting sport to watch and firmly believe others will think so too when they give it a chance.
“Even though not many people watch us we put just as much effort as anyone else,” Chase Cook said.
“If you (know what’s going on) it’s one of the most exciting sports to watch because it’s non-stop action,” coach Cook said. “You don’t have to stop to hike a ball, or pitch a ball and watch it go foul and stop. (In soccer) for 45 straight minutes each half you’re going non-stop and there’s always action going on somewhere on the field.”
2010 and Beyond
Big things are on the horizon for the Hurricane in the years to come. Cook talked about just getting adjusted to the new scheme and surroundings this year, yet his team has played like they are seasoned veterans. The team boasts around 20 players, with only four seniors and a heavy complement of juniors giving the team a lot to look forward to in the future.
“This is only the beginning for us,” Cook said. “We’re getting the program installed the way we want things run here. The guys that are young here are going to come back and the success we have this year will hopefully carry over.”
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