At the center of things: Hannibal’s Westhoff changes position to bolster Pirates’ defense

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Kevin Westhoff has welcomed the change.

Primarily a midfielder in his first two seasons with the Hannibal boys soccer program, Westhoff began playing center back for JB Marine, his club team based in St. Louis, last December and is moving to the back line this fall for the Pirates.

“It’s a much slower pace back there, a lot more directing,” Westhoff said. 

And Hannibal soccer coach Eric Hill can’t wait to see what Westhoff can accomplish when he teams up with Pirates senior Cooper Scott on the back line.

“He’s one of our best players,” Hill said of Westhoff. “He’s going to add physicality to the position. His field vision is amazing. He sees things happening and is able to snuff them out. His size back there, having that additional height in the back is going to be a plus for us.

“I’d put our two center backs up against anybody’s. Those two combined are going to be a lot to handle.”

Like Hill, Westhoff is excited about what he and Scott can do together.

“Cooper is really smart and quick, too,” Westhoff said. “I wouldn’t say I’m the quickest, but I have some speed. I’m also 6-3, so sending a corner kick and trying to get a head on us is going to be tough for the other team. We’ll have height, IQ and speed back there.”

Hill said Westhoff’s experience in the midfield could open the door for changes to the ways the Pirates’ generate offense through their defenders.

“Generally, when we’re getting up into the attack, we work on getting into the attack with our outside backs, and I think we can still do that, but we were even discussing with Kevin moving back to center back, he’s going to see those opportunities where he’s going to get up into the attack,” Hill said. “That’s where we have our defensive midfielders like Pearson (Parker) or (Chase) Askey that are going to be willing to hang back and fill that spot.

“It’ll be a little extra dynamic to what our team will do that other teams may be caught off guard by, the center back leaking up into the attack. I’m just excited to see this pair play together and see what they can do.”

Askey also will play a different position in 2024. The junior will move from the wing to defensive midfield, a change that Askey feels will allow him more freedom.

“I’ve just been on the edge of the field and seeing the field from one angle, but in the midfield, I’ll be moving my head around, seeing all different angles, and moving the ball around a lot more,” Askey said.

Hill expects Askey and Parker to form an effective defensive midfield tandem.

“He can see the field, he can help cover, he can distribute, look to get other guys involved, and when his opportunity comes up, he’s going to be there,” Hill said. “He’s still going to score some goals for us, too, but I think he’s going to do a lot of the dirty work that goes unmentioned. I think he and Pearson are going to put in a lot of work that goes unnoticed probably, but it’s going to be key to what we’re able to do because we need to be able to control the midfield to be able to control the game.”

Behind the likes of Askey, Parker, Westhoff, and Scott, senior Clayton Neisen will put his leadership on display in his second year as the starting goalkeeper.

“Clayton is a vocal goalkeeper, so he’s going to direct and make sure the guys are marked up,” Hill said.

Up front, senior forwards Bodie Rollins and Maddox Tharp’s finishing abilities give the Pirates a potent 1-2 punch at the top of their attack.

“If they have a good look at it, they’re going to crack a shot from 25, 30 yards out, and when they do, we know that it has a chance,” Hill said. “It’s not that they’re just sending something up that might have a prayer. They’re going to test the keeper if they see that opportunity.”

Notable games on the Pirates’ schedule include road dates with Quincy Notre Dame and Quincy High School on Sept. 3 and 19, respectively, as well as a rematch of last season’s Class 3 District 4 semifinal with Fort Zumwalt South on Sept. 9. The Bulldogs have eliminated the Pirates from the postseason each of the last two seasons, so Hill said getting a look at the Bulldogs before the playoffs come around could prove beneficial.

“It’s not necessarily ‘Oh, we’re going to go get them,’ but the main thing was getting to play some of these teams in our district in the regular season so that when it comes down to district seeding, we’re hopefully getting a higher seed if we win,” Hill said. “It’s also nice getting the experience of playing them before districts come around so that we know a little bit more about them going into the postseason.”