It’s day one of high school soccer practice in Iowa and the Greene County Rams officially start the 2023 seasons. Carl Behne is the head coach of the boys and Maribel Hernandez is at the helm of the girls.

The two programs have had different paths in their early years. Greene County first had its own high school soccer teams in 2018 after some years sharing with either Boone or Carroll. The boys had success on the pitch immediately with a winning record in its first season and Class 1A State Tournament appearances in seasons two and three. In its four previous seasons, the Rams have recorded winning records every time. There was no 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Behne has been the head coach and Chad Black the assistant coach since the inception of the boys’ program. The number of participants has always been strong.

The girls have had had three head coaches in its previous four seasons and have yet to experience more wins than losses in any season. The Rams won one time in 2022 and Coach Hernandez stresses building the numbers of girls in the sport at Greene County High as a big step in growing the number of victories. Early indications are there could be nearly 30 girls at practice today, far more than a season ago.