Cedar Rapids Prairie puts together challenging road schedule to prep for boys’ state soccer ambitions

CEDAR RAPIDS — Cedar Rapids Prairie is putting the phrase “defense travels” to the test this boys’ soccer season.

The Hawks (3-0) will play 10 of their 15 regular-season games away from home in 2024 — and many of the opponents they’ll face were ranked in 2023.

“This is the toughest schedule we've had in my tenure here,” Coach Curt Lewis said. “We have to play at the level that we want to play to, no matter who or where we play.”

The road-centric schedule is a strategy Lewis hopes pays dividends for the Hawks in the postseason.

Prairie has reached at least the state quarterfinal round in three consecutive seasons. However, its lone state tournament win during that period was a quarterfinal victory over Johnston in 2022.

“One of the things we’ve stressed is that we’ve struggled with winning substate and then going to state,” Lewis said. “We think the substate atmosphere is good enough — but it’s just a whole different thing in Des Moines.

“So now if we can get to Des Moines, can we then win that quarterfinal game? Because it's kind of been the monkey on our back.”

One thing Lewis knows for sure, no matter the playing field or opponent, is if his team plays strong defense, it has a shot.

“As long as you don’t give up goals, you have a chance to win,” Lewis said. “And then you just got to find that one or two goals.”

Through three games, the Hawks have followed this philosophy to perfection, outscoring their opponents 15-0, including a 2-0 win against 2023 state semifinalist Ankeny Centennial.

“Our spine is (goalkeeper) Aiden Neumann,” Lewis said after Prairie pitched its third straight shutout in a 3-0 win over Cedar Rapids Jefferson last Thursday. “It’s an honor to be able to put a player like him back there.”

Neumann earned second-team all-state honors last season and was the Mississippi Division Goalkeeper of the Year in the Mississippi Valley Conference.

“Preparation is a big thing, watching film and knowing your opponent,” Neumann said. “But it really goes to my back four. They’re great and they have been for the last few years, and that helps me a lot.”

Senior Reece Lerch is among the back four and is one of Prairie’s key returning players.

“He (Lerch) does a very good job of keeping our backline together,” senior Gavin Lewis said.

Offensively, Gavin Lewis has taken more of a striker role this season. Lewis led the Hawks in goals in 2023 with 10 — this year, he already has five goals and four assists.

“In the last three years, Gavin’s scored goals in the midfield for us,” Curt Lewis said. “We moved him up top to get a little more offense for us this year.”

Drew DeSmidt, Easton Mai, Owen Kahler and Caleb Eckert also have scored goals this season.

“Gavin’s going to draw a lot of attention,” Curt Lewis said. “He knows it's important to get other guys going because if we're going to make a run, it's not going to be just him.”

The Hawks will need all hands on deck as they’ll play seven of their next nine games away from home. Notable opponents during that stretch include 2023 state qualifiers West Des Moines Valley, West Des Moines Dowling, Waukee Northwest, Iowa City West and Iowa City Liberty.

“Having all these road games, it will definitely prepare us for if we get past substate,” Neumann said. “I think that's a huge thing because a lot of teams like to play at home. They like to have a crowd and feel the energy. But when you're away, you don't have that, so you have to learn to feed off of other things.”

“I think we've got a team that can compete if we get to state,” Curt Lewis said. “We've got a schedule that will prepare us to compete there.

“It'll just be a matter of, for that 80 minutes, are you better than me?”