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By Jed Blackwell Every step forward for Polk County soccer’s seniors is a step in the right direction. Senior captain James Purtill said there’s a reason things are headed in a positive direction. “We’re a tight group,” Purtill said. “One of the guys was saying yesterday that sometimes guys on varsity don’t play together this long. But we’ve played four years together, and it’s built good leadership.” Purtill has been looked to for much of that leadership for a couple of years. “He was the junior captain last year and the senior captain this year,” Polk County coach George Alley said. “I communicate with him a lot. I try to get his opinion on stuff. He’s pretty astute. He comes up with some good ideas. I think he’s got the respect of his teammates, and he’s just all-in.” That commitment has come about through some trials. The Wolverines have lacked stability in the recent past, something that’s changing now. At the same time, success is measured slightly differently when you’re used to the other side of the equation. “I’ve had three coaches in four years,” Purtill said. “That’s not a normal experience. It’s just a matter of not taking things for granted. We might struggle a little bit, but there have been years where we didn’t even score until we got to conference. “We went 12 games and didn’t score a goal. But you just keep working. And it’s great to see things improve and see our program headed in the right direction.” The improvement is due in part to Purtill and the seniors’ individual and collective improvement. That’s come, he said, thanks to experience and togetherness. “It’s big,” he said. “Manny, Nate, Riley, Noah – I know how they all play. I know what to expect from them, and I’m sure they know what to expect from me. We can all count on each other when it matters most.” Alley said that being able to count on each other is a big deal for the seniors. “They had a real hard time freshmen and sophomore years,” he said. “That whole class, there’s five of them, and they’ve been through a lot. I’m glad they’ve stuck it out, and I’m glad they’re having some success.”  Having Alley back for a second year has also been big for the Wolverines. “It’s huge,” Purtill said. “Even just the start of the season, in the past, we’d been learning how a coach wants to play, but it was right back to business this year. It’s like we never even missed a beat.” This year’s pre-season adjustment was to a new formational shape. Purtill didn’t mind it since he suggested it. “I will say I introduced it,” Purtill said. “I told him we’d played it with my travel team, it worked, and I thought we had the personnel and should try it. We got to the first day of tryouts, had a scrimmage, and I picked the formation. That’s what we went with.” The formation drops an extra defender, which Purtill thinks helps the Wolverines. “It gives us a little more protection in the back with four guys,” he said. “Last year we had guys that fit in a 3-5-2, and this year we fit really well in the 4-3-3. We can get those guys into attack and get wide and use our midfielders. Get it to our wingers, get their heels on the touchlines, and you’ve got a lot of options.” As the season marches on, Purtill knows exactly what his hopes are for Polk County. “I want to win conference,” he said. “I think it’s doable. We’ve got a great squad this year, good leadership, and it looks like it can fall that way. After that, we just want to make a good run. Don’t take things for granted, and play one game at a time.”