Multiple athletes donned the Allen Community College red and black for the first time while suiting up for Media Day.
With the regular season just around the corner, and exhibition games starting Friday, ACC athletes representing soccer, cross country, volleyball and cheer and dance posed for team pictures Wednesday.
Gefte Blanc, ACC’s men’s soccer coach, was optimistic.
“We’re doing pretty well. Most of the guys are returning,” said Blanc. Allen Trustees promoted Blanc from assistant to head coach last spring. “We’re going to do well this season, and we’re excited for everybody being here. It’s pretty easy for us. We know these guys have been training all summer long.”
The Red Devils finished fourth in the Jayhawk Conference standings with a 2-5-1 record and 5-9-2 overall last year. After graduating 13 players from their 27-man roster, the Red Devils will not lack experience, but they will have plenty of holes to fill.
Blanc said he’ll hew closely to former Coach Doug Desmareau’s coaching philosophy to find the right players for the right places.
“We’re going to be in good shape by the time everything starts,” Blanc said. “I was blessed by Coach Desmarteau helping me throughout the entire process. He prepared me to be in that position, and it was an easy transition.”
For the women, sophomore striker Jillian Muelhberger hopes to take a bit of pressure off incoming freshmen looking to make a mark. With only eight returning players from 2024, the Red Devils will have more than a few freshmen taking the field. Muehlberger believes Allen can have success early if they develop a solid team chemistry before taking the field.
“I love every single one of the freshmen,” Muehlberger said. “We came together really well as a team this week. It’s been super fun hanging out with them all of the time. We’ve done team bonding on top of all our practices. It’s been fun.”
The women hope to build from a strong run in 2024. They finished with an 8-9-1 record and 3-5 in the Jayhawk Conference for third place. Jeremy Hess is the ACC women’s soccer coach.
Muelhberger anticipates success in 2025, although they’re fielding a younger team. However, avenging their 2024 postseason loss to Johnson County would make her sophomore season a bit more precious.
“I’ve been trying to be outgoing and friendly, telling the freshmen, ‘If you need anything just call,’” Muehlber said. “It’s a little difficult at the start but we will get there. We have a game on Friday against Coffeyville. I’m excited to see how the team looks and how we’re gelling. I’m so ready for a game.”
