For a pair of new faces, Kentlake’s coaches are awfully recognizable in the soccer community.

The Falcons bolstered their sideline pedigree for 2014 by adding two former professional soccer players to the staff. Head coach Chris Scotti, originally from Federal Way, played at Oregon State before advancing to the professional indoor soccer stage for 10 years between 1993-2002, finishing as the 9th All-time leading scorer in the World Indoor Soccer League. One of his assistants, Othaniel Yanez, was drafted by the MLS’s Columbus Crew in the fourth round in 2010 after starring for the University of Louisville.

Scotti sees his and Yanez’s professional experience as an advantage — being able to demonstrate nuances of the game, such as how to properly protect corner kicks, break down the final third during offensive attacks and understand the different speeds on grass compared to turf.

“We get in and play; showcase technique,” Scotti said. “I think that’s a little extra, more than the typical head coach can do.”

The Falcons are looking up from near the bottom of last year’s 4A South Puget Sound League North Division standings at perennial contender Thomas Jefferson, which went undefeated and won state in 2013. Kentwood, which finished third in 2013, and Tahoma, which finished fifth, are hoping to contend for state positions.

“I hope we are in that mix somewhere,” said Tahoma head coach Jason Johnson.

Tahoma

Goals and expectations:

The Bears crawled into the playoffs as a fifth seed and advanced to regionals in 2013, but failed to make state for the first time in three years. Despite a youthful cast, Johnson expects a return to state thanks in part to an even stronger freshman class than he anticipated.

“We’ve gotten younger, but I think we’ve actually gotten a little stronger in some spots,” he said. “…We have higher expectations than we had last year.”

Biggest challenge

Relying on youth also means new experiences in the ever-demanding SPSL schedule. Johnson knows his less experienced players will be strained at times to keep up with the top-quality competition.

“They’re going to have to get over that pretty quickly,” he said.

Featured returners:

Chris Darcy — Junior, midfield — Team captain with great field vision and effort.

Sean Owens — Senior, midfield — 2nd-team all-league player in 2013, who led the team in goals.

Logan Wood — Junior, midfield — Great speed and a goal scoring threat.

Edgar Sepulveda — Senior, midfield — Versatile athlete who with strong “ball winning ability.”

Newcomers:

Charlie Wilcox — Freshman, defense — Speedy player with the positive mental approach to the game.

Alex Bailey — Freshman, defense — Gifted athlete with the calm demeanor of a veteran.

Kentlake

Goals and expectations:

A new coaching staff and young group, Scotti doesn’t plan to make too high of goals. Scotti sees a lot of potential on his own squad, as well as the Puget Sound area as a whole. His initial hopes are to reach the playoffs, but he’s leaving room for more.

“We could be on top of the league and then you want to win the league,” he said. “I think we will be battling each and every game.”

Biggest challenge:

With only three seniors on the varsity squad, Scotti is looking at a young nucleus of freshman and sophomores. One of his biggest concerns is depth, with only 17 players on varsity and around 15 on JV.

“I know how things happen during the season and that will probably be a concern,” he said. “Were going to have to be pretty resilient and injury free.”

Featured returners:

• Ryan Utz — Senior, midfield — Captain in his fourth year on varsity

• Preston Slane — Junior, forward — Fast, exciting player expected to be a strong offensive contributor

Newcomers:

• Uriel Garcia — Freshman, goalie — Natural talent who exudes confidence.

Kentwood

Goals and expectations: With 17 upperclassmen, 14 of whom have varsity experience, Head coach Aaron Radford aims to raise the Conk’s level of performance from last year’s third place conference finish. That means advancing beyond the district playoffs to state.

“We hope that the experience will pay off, knowing that we have a very competitive league and district to battle,” Radford said.

Biggest challenge:

Kentwood lost three varsity veterans from the 2013 squad, leaving big holes to fill.

“Getting new players into those roles will be challenging and getting the team to play together, with the guys we do have, is always a challenge,” Radford said.

Featured returners:

• Garret Rudolph — Senior, defense/midfield — Fourth year on the varsity squad.

• Aidan Gray — Junior midfielder— Provided strong offense, with four goals and one assist in 2013.

• Admir Kucalovic — Senior, goalie — Athletic and smart decision maker. Radford expects him to be a top goalkeeper in the league.

• Brandyn Bangsund, Senior, midfield/forward — Tallied two goals and assist before missing more than half the year with a knee injury.