Moon Soccer - High School Boys Team

Scholastic Scoop: Moon's Thomas spawns success
By: Jim Equels Jr.

It's said that success breeds success. That notion is being proven in area high school soccer this season.

Prior to stepping down as the Moon Area boys soccer coach at the end of last season, Arne Thomas had built the Tigers program into one of the best in the WPIAL, winning two championships and regularly sending teams into the PIAA tournament.

That success planted the seeds of coaching, as three of Thomas' former Moon players are now coaching area schools. Chris Lantzy is in his fourth season at Blackhawk, while John Arnold and Drew Lewis are each in their first seasons as the coaches at Moon and Ambridge, respectively.

"The biggest thing I took from Arne is how he really knew how to put that fire into a player," said Lantzy, who was a teammate with Arnold in Thomas' first season in 1990. "I look at myself as a motivator and a lot of that comes from him. We had a good group of seniors that first year, but we needed a spark. He gave us that and we went on to win a WPIAL title."

"I think the success we had at Moon had a great impact on where Chris, Willie (Arnold's nickname) and I are today," said Lewis, who graduated from Moon in 1997. "We all were motivated by that success. I think had we been part of some run-of-the-mill program, we all might not be where we are today."

Lewis is leading traditional power Ambridge after spending four seasons as an assistant with the Moon girls. Ambridge is 7-5.

Arnold, better known to his former Moon teammates as "Willie," spent the past 10 seasons as Thomas' assistant and also has extensive "Cup" coaching experience. He currently has the Tigers at 6-7.

Lantzy has Blackhawk at 7-5. Arnold's promotion to the top spot at Moon will also make Blackhawk's exhibition game with the Tigers later this month a little more interesting.

"Willie and I were in each other's weddings," Lantzy said. "Now we'll have a friendly rivalry going, which makes it fun."

The trio has noticed a shift in local soccer from their high school days. It used to be Moon Area and Quaker Valley were the only area schools to consistently field strong soccer programs. Now, all three of the programs they lead are strong, and along with the likes of Beaver, Center and Riverside, the Beaver Valley is becoming a soccer hotbed.

Lewis says the area is simply doing what players at Moon Area were doing years ago.

"When I played at Moon, I think almost all of our starters were "Cup" players," said Lewis, who played for the prestigious Beadling Cup team under Gene Klein. "Now I think people in The Valley are realizing you have to play pretty much year round.

"At places like Beaver and Ambridge and Blackhawk, you're seeing the results of kids playing at higher levels of "Cup" soccer, whereas I don't think that used to be the case."