Croatia Juniors Coaches Kick Off Fall High School Season
With the Ohio High School Athletic Association officially beginning competition this weekend, several Croatia Juniors coaches are gearing up for the fall high school season. As Croatia Juniors’ younger age groups look to follow up a strong preseason camp with their fall club campaigns, its high school players and coaches take a break from club duties to guide their programs towards success.
On the girls’ side, Ivica Miljak enters his third year at the helm of the Mayfield Wildcats program. After a 12-2-2 season in 2023, Miljak hopes to build on this success with a young team. He says, “Despite graduating a large group of experienced seniors, our young team has a lot of quality and is ready to take the next step. It will be exciting to watch the group develop over the course of the season.”
Unlike many high school programs, Andrews Osborne Academy’s Joe DiLalla will not meet most of his team until August 26th. He plans to spend the opening weeks of the season with a focus on building team chemistry and setting clear objectives for the season. “Whether it’s improving specific skills, enhancing fitness, or achieving a certain win record, having clear, achievable goals will keep my team motivated. Maintaining strong relationships on and off the field will significantly improve teamwork and performance,” he says.
Several Croatia Juniors coaches embark on the 2024 season with high hopes as they assist at local boys programs this fall. Marko Condic and the Lake Catholic Cougars return to competition after last year’s run to the Division 2 state semifinal, in which they bowed out to Revere in a hard-fought match at Twinsburg High School. David Beattie and his alma mater West Geauga Wolverines combine the majority of last year’s starting 11 with a strong incoming freshman class and hope for a deep postseason run. Wilson Vladic is back for another season with the Kirtland Hornets as they field a young team with a number of Croatia Juniors talents who will look to develop throughout the season and make a run in the playoffs. Vjeko Dedic remains a mainstay with the Eastlake North Rangers.
Croatia Juniors duo Mile Sesar (Head Coach) and Ivan Matkovic (Varsity Assistant) team up to lead the Mentor Cardinals again this fall, while Drago Dumbovic follows up his 2023 state championship campaign with the Andrews Osborne Academy boys with a slightly new role, taking the reins of the school’s Prep team this year.
Croatia Juniors wishes its high school coaches and players the best of luck as they embark on their 2024 season.
