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Craig, Parker meet in soccer opener

JANESVILLE — Janesville Craig and Janesville Parker high school boys soccer teams will tangle in a season-opening nonconference game at 7 tonight at Craig.

The game is the first of a European Cup-style series between Craig, Parker and Beloit Memorial. The teams will face each other twice then conclude the series with the two-city triangular round robin on Sept. 26 at Parker.

Each team will be awarded three points for a victory and one point for a tie. The series winner will receive a traveling trophy.

“It’s just a way to get more competition between schools in the area,” Parker coach Andy Holmes said. “The matches between Parker, Craig and Beloit are always exciting.’’

First-year Craig coach Charly Friedrich wants the series to inject new life into high school soccer in the area.

“We’re going to try and make this an annual thing,” said Friedrich, who is vice president of the Rock Soccer Club. “The Madison schools have their thing, and now we can do our own thing.’’

Friedrich thinks Janesville’s high school soccer programs can improve.

“Whether it’s Parker or it’s Craig, soccer teams have been underachieving,” Friedrich said. “This is a football town, but there is room for soccer.

“There is no reason why both schools combined win only seven or eight games out of 40. We’re not that bad,” Friedrich added.

Parker opens the season with just two returning players, while Craig returns five players from last season.

“We have to ratchet up the whole program,” Friedrich said.