Program History
The boys soccer program at Turner Ashby High School started in the Spring of 1998. Since the program started the Knights have enjoyed many successes, winning 9 regular season Valley/ Massanutten District Championships, 7 Valley/ Massanutten District Tournament Titles, one Conference 29 Championship, one Region III Championship in 2008, Region III Runner-up in 2013 and have earned a state tournament berth in 2008 & 2013. The Program has also benefited from 6 District Player of the Year winners, and one Region Player of the Year winner. The Knights have produced 15 All-State Selections, 30 All-Region Selections, and numerous All-District & All-Conference Selections.
Phil Landes was the first varsity soccer coach in program history. He led the Knights for 11 Seasons compiling an overall record of 139 - 78 - 9. The first few years laid the foundation to what would become a respected program in the district, region, & state. It took only 4 seasons for Coach Landes to help lead the Knights to their first District Title in 2001. The Knights would follow up that first District Regular Season Championship by winning both the District Regular Season and Tournament Championship the next two years (2002, 2003). Along with team success, Turner Ashby boasted individual accolades earning District Player of the Year Honors each of those three seasons (Ryan Haushalter 2001, J.M. Monger 2002, and Jose Gallardo 2003). The 2003 team set a record for fewest losses in a season (2) and that year Jose Gallardo tallied the most assists in a season (36).
In 2004 Turner Ashby added a Junior Varsity team to their boys soccer program. It did not take long for the addition of the JV team to pay dividends for the soccer program. The Knights were back on top winning both the District Regular Season and Tournament Championships during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. During the 2006 season Turner Ashby defender Jo Jo Bucher won District Player of the Year honors, goalkeeper Josh Tate was able to enter the record books with most career saves (410) and that team was able to set two team records with fewest losses (2 tying the 2003 team) and most wins in a season (19). The 2007 team also set several team records tying the 2006 team with fewest losses in a season (2), they also set a record for fewest goals allowed in a season (11) and most shut-outs in a season (13).
The 2008 season would be Coach Landes’ last year in charge of the Turner Ashby soccer program. That season he would help lead the varsity program to arguably the most successful in the program’s short history. The 2008 team won the District Regular Season and Tournament Championships, but they were just getting started, taking the program to new heights they won the soccer program’s first ever Region III Championship, beating Northside 2 - 1, in the first year Turner Ashby competed in that Region. The 2008 team was also the first time the boys soccer program earned a spot into the state playoffs, where they lost to a talented Hidden Valley team 2 – 1. In 2008 many offensive records were set. As a team they scored the most goals in school history (79) and Chris Hulse was able to finish his career as the schools leading career goal scorer (47) as well as the distinction of having scored the most goals in a game by a Turner Ashby player (5). Goalkeeper Tyler Martin also entered the record book with the lowest career goals against average (.843).
In 2009, after coaching the JV team for 4 years and 1 year as a varsity assistant coach, current varsity coach Sheldon Rice took over a successful boys soccer program. The smooth coaching transition allowed the program's success to continue. The 2009 team finished the year as District Regular Season Champions. In 2010 the Knights were once again District Tournament Champions led by the District Player of the Year that season Robert Blackwell. He was also the first Knight to be named the Region III Player of the Year. Robert put his name in the Turner Ashby Soccer Record Book in many offensive categories that season including career offensive points (114), offensive points in a season (89), goals in a season (38), and tied Hulse’s record for goals in a game (5). That same season teammate Daniel Showalter went into the record book for the most assists in a season (22).
It took a few years for the Knights to once again win a District Championship, but the 2013 team won the District Regular Season & Tournament Championships. Their post-season success continued through regions, making it to the regional finals where they lost to a very good E. C. Glass team 2 – 0 earning the Knights Region III Runner’s Up. Making the Region Finals awarded the Knights their second ever state playoff birth where the Knights played a talented Blacksburg team tough, but lost to the eventual State Champion Bruins 2 – 0.
The Knights entered the 2014 seasons with hopes of duplicating the success of the 2013 campaign. 2014 also, brought a lot of changes to the VHSL moving from a 3 classification system to 6. TA found itself in the very competitive Conference 29. After a very good regular season that saw Austin Slater voted as Valley District Co-Player of the year, the Knights entered the Conference 29 tournament as the #2 seed. After an exciting conference semi-final against Valley District foe Fort Defiance, TA advanced to the first Conference 29 final thanks to an overtime goal scored by Austin Slater and assisted by Jose Martinez. The Knights lost the Conference Final to eventual state champion Western Albemarle HS. After defeating Liberty-Bedford HS in the first round of the 3A West Region playoffs, the Knights season was ended for the second year in a row by eventual state runner-up Blacksburg who again beat TA 2-0.
The 2015 season brought the boys soccer program more hardware. The Knights won the Regular Season Valley District Championship for the 9th time with a District Record of 10-1-1. For the second straight year the Knights advanced to the the Conference 29 Championship Game with an exciting 3-2 win over Spotswood in the Semi-Final Game Thanks to Jose Martinez's second half hat trick. After last season's disappointment in the Conference 29 Championship Game, the Knights came out with something to prove and were able to beat Runner-up Stuarts Draft 5-2 for Turner Ashby's first ever Conference 29 Championship. The 2015 season came to an end in the Region 3A West Quarterfinal Game against Valley District foe Spotswood. The Blazers were able to win the 4th and final match up between the two schools 2-1.
The Turner Ashby Boys Soccer Program looks to build on the tradition of the past and continue to be a competitive soccer program into the future.
Phil Landes was the first varsity soccer coach in program history. He led the Knights for 11 Seasons compiling an overall record of 139 - 78 - 9. The first few years laid the foundation to what would become a respected program in the district, region, & state. It took only 4 seasons for Coach Landes to help lead the Knights to their first District Title in 2001. The Knights would follow up that first District Regular Season Championship by winning both the District Regular Season and Tournament Championship the next two years (2002, 2003). Along with team success, Turner Ashby boasted individual accolades earning District Player of the Year Honors each of those three seasons (Ryan Haushalter 2001, J.M. Monger 2002, and Jose Gallardo 2003). The 2003 team set a record for fewest losses in a season (2) and that year Jose Gallardo tallied the most assists in a season (36).
In 2004 Turner Ashby added a Junior Varsity team to their boys soccer program. It did not take long for the addition of the JV team to pay dividends for the soccer program. The Knights were back on top winning both the District Regular Season and Tournament Championships during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. During the 2006 season Turner Ashby defender Jo Jo Bucher won District Player of the Year honors, goalkeeper Josh Tate was able to enter the record books with most career saves (410) and that team was able to set two team records with fewest losses (2 tying the 2003 team) and most wins in a season (19). The 2007 team also set several team records tying the 2006 team with fewest losses in a season (2), they also set a record for fewest goals allowed in a season (11) and most shut-outs in a season (13).
The 2008 season would be Coach Landes’ last year in charge of the Turner Ashby soccer program. That season he would help lead the varsity program to arguably the most successful in the program’s short history. The 2008 team won the District Regular Season and Tournament Championships, but they were just getting started, taking the program to new heights they won the soccer program’s first ever Region III Championship, beating Northside 2 - 1, in the first year Turner Ashby competed in that Region. The 2008 team was also the first time the boys soccer program earned a spot into the state playoffs, where they lost to a talented Hidden Valley team 2 – 1. In 2008 many offensive records were set. As a team they scored the most goals in school history (79) and Chris Hulse was able to finish his career as the schools leading career goal scorer (47) as well as the distinction of having scored the most goals in a game by a Turner Ashby player (5). Goalkeeper Tyler Martin also entered the record book with the lowest career goals against average (.843).
In 2009, after coaching the JV team for 4 years and 1 year as a varsity assistant coach, current varsity coach Sheldon Rice took over a successful boys soccer program. The smooth coaching transition allowed the program's success to continue. The 2009 team finished the year as District Regular Season Champions. In 2010 the Knights were once again District Tournament Champions led by the District Player of the Year that season Robert Blackwell. He was also the first Knight to be named the Region III Player of the Year. Robert put his name in the Turner Ashby Soccer Record Book in many offensive categories that season including career offensive points (114), offensive points in a season (89), goals in a season (38), and tied Hulse’s record for goals in a game (5). That same season teammate Daniel Showalter went into the record book for the most assists in a season (22).
It took a few years for the Knights to once again win a District Championship, but the 2013 team won the District Regular Season & Tournament Championships. Their post-season success continued through regions, making it to the regional finals where they lost to a very good E. C. Glass team 2 – 0 earning the Knights Region III Runner’s Up. Making the Region Finals awarded the Knights their second ever state playoff birth where the Knights played a talented Blacksburg team tough, but lost to the eventual State Champion Bruins 2 – 0.
The Knights entered the 2014 seasons with hopes of duplicating the success of the 2013 campaign. 2014 also, brought a lot of changes to the VHSL moving from a 3 classification system to 6. TA found itself in the very competitive Conference 29. After a very good regular season that saw Austin Slater voted as Valley District Co-Player of the year, the Knights entered the Conference 29 tournament as the #2 seed. After an exciting conference semi-final against Valley District foe Fort Defiance, TA advanced to the first Conference 29 final thanks to an overtime goal scored by Austin Slater and assisted by Jose Martinez. The Knights lost the Conference Final to eventual state champion Western Albemarle HS. After defeating Liberty-Bedford HS in the first round of the 3A West Region playoffs, the Knights season was ended for the second year in a row by eventual state runner-up Blacksburg who again beat TA 2-0.
The 2015 season brought the boys soccer program more hardware. The Knights won the Regular Season Valley District Championship for the 9th time with a District Record of 10-1-1. For the second straight year the Knights advanced to the the Conference 29 Championship Game with an exciting 3-2 win over Spotswood in the Semi-Final Game Thanks to Jose Martinez's second half hat trick. After last season's disappointment in the Conference 29 Championship Game, the Knights came out with something to prove and were able to beat Runner-up Stuarts Draft 5-2 for Turner Ashby's first ever Conference 29 Championship. The 2015 season came to an end in the Region 3A West Quarterfinal Game against Valley District foe Spotswood. The Blazers were able to win the 4th and final match up between the two schools 2-1.
The Turner Ashby Boys Soccer Program looks to build on the tradition of the past and continue to be a competitive soccer program into the future.
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