Freehold Township High School lost its best boys’ soccer player, Tiron Shatku, for the entire season on Sept. 5. Then it played a game two days later on Sept. 7.
It was a difficult transition, especially for Freehold Township’s opponent, Saint John Vianney High School. The Patriots beat Saint John Vianney, 5-0, earning their first victory of the season.
They are just 2-3 so far, but on Sept. 7 they looked like what they are supposed to be: An NJSIAA Group 4 state title contender.
Even without Shatku, Freehold Township has eight returning starters from a 2018 team that reached the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 4 sectional tournament quarterfinals, falling to South Brunswick High School in penalty kicks. Four of those starters were either All-Shore Conference or All-Shore Conference A North Division selections in 2018.
After they lost their best player on Sept. 5, they knew they had to band together and spread the ball around against Saint John Vianney. The new mindset led to some beautiful team soccer on Sept. 7 in Holmdel.
“When you have a kid of that caliber, people feel like they have to get him the ball,” said Freehold Township coach Josh Mehl. “We are a more complete team because we can play open and honest soccer without depending on someone that good.”
Mehl is not stupid. He knows in the long run the Pats would have been better with Shatku, who is not playing this fall because he earned a trial run with a European professional team.
The Philadelphia Union Academy alum left the academy last spring and joined his hometown program at Freehold Township, with all of his childhood friends. He played with the Patriots through the summer and early fall, but then he got the professional offer with a team he cannot disclose.
Shatku will not leave for Europe until early November, but Mehl was not about to let him play high school soccer and potentially get hurt. The Freehold kid announced his decision to his teammates before practice on Sept. 6, and they all clapped for their friend and hugged him.
“I thought they’d be happy for him,” Mehl said. “But they really were happy for him.”
It was a nice moment, but then the Pats started the rest of their season. They are happy for their friend, but they are not about to let his departure ruin their season.
The Patriots had state championship aspirations even before Shatku joined the program.
“Absolutely we can do it without him,” Mehl said.
“Media outlets have picked us to win the state title,” he added. “Some of that was about having Tiron, but a lot of it was based on the team we’re bringing back.”
That team starts with senior Bennett Messinger, a 6-3, 200-pound forward who “runs like a cannon,” Mehl said. Messinger notched two goals and an assist in the victory over Saint John Vianney.
It also includes midfielder Zach Orrico and goalkeeper John Wilhelm, who were both elected captains as juniors. Mehl has been involved with Freehold Township boys’ soccer since 2004, and he has explored the program’s record books from before he arrived. He has not yet found an instance when the Pats elected even one junior captain.
The group also features a fourth-year starter at center midfielder in Evan Savino, a New York Red Bulls Academy alum at forward in Adam Havens and a bunch of other legit high school soccer players.
Mehl’s team is loaded, and now, without Shatku, it has a “no one respects us” card to play. That’s a dangerous combination.
Saint John Vianney was the first opponent to find that out, but it won’t be the last.
