South Boys Soccer coach Rick DiBacco knew there might be some growing pains when the Rebels took the field for Saturday’s season opener at Lakeside.
With two starters sidelined by injuries and five players stepping into starting roles they didn’t hold a year ago, the Rebels had some things to figure out.
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It didn’t take them long.
South scored three times in the first half and erupted for five more after the break to open the 2026 season with an 8-1 victory over Lakeside.
“We’re missing two starters because of injuries, so we actually had five different starters from last year starting today,” DiBacco said. “It was kind of a game for us just to get used to new guys and our starters.”
The new-look lineup passed its first test, particularly after the Rebels settled into the game and began connecting passes through the midfield.
“The last couple years, they’ve given us tough matches, so we were expecting another tough one this morning,” DiBacco said. “It took us a little while to get things working together as far as possession and making consecutive passes. We were up 3-0 at halftime, so it was a good halftime lead.”
Bailey leads an explosive attack
Once South found its rhythm, Lakeside had few answers for an attack that produced goals from four different players.
Miles Bailey led the way with a hat trick and added three assists, giving him a hand in six of South’s eight goals.
Zachary Pizem scored twice and added an assist, while Malekchi Carvajal finished with two goals. Yunus Abas also found the back of the net to round out the Rebels’ scoring.
South’s offense wasn’t limited to its goal scorers.
Reid Munson contributed two assists, while Quinn Faith and Ross Kinnaird each recorded an assist.
Two of South’s three first-half goals came through the type of combination play DiBacco wants to see from his team.
“Two out of the three were just good combination passes, working the ball from midfield up into the box to get a good shot and then passing it off to an open guy,” DiBacco said.
Another came simply through persistence.
“One of our guys had the ball, lost it, got the ball, lost it again, came around a defender and scored from about seven feet out,” DiBacco said. “It was just pure determination on his part.”
Plenty to like, plenty to improve
Despite the lopsided final score, DiBacco saw areas the Rebels will need to clean up as the season progresses.
South controlled possession for much of the game, but the Rebels weren’t always as sharp as their coach wanted.
“We were a little bit up and down throughout the game as far as what we wanted to accomplish with possession,” DiBacco said. “We did possess a lot more than they did, but there are still some kinks to work out.
“With five new starters, we were possessing pretty well. The combinations were working well. We used the width of the field. We stayed strong the whole game.”
The performance of Bailey and Pizem was especially encouraging.
DiBacco expects the duo to carry a significant portion of South’s offensive load this fall, and they wasted no time establishing themselves.
“Bailey and Pizem are going to be our top offensive guys this year,” DiBacco said. “So to see them get off to a great start with five goals combined makes them feel good as well.”
South controls both ends
The Rebels were equally effective defensively.
South limited Lakeside to virtually nothing in the run of play. The Dragons’ only goal came on a second-half penalty kick following a trip in the box.
South goalkeeper Milan Tolo finished with one save.
“Our goalie had one save, I think, prior to that, so we finished with one save in the game,” DiBacco said. “I know they were missing a key starter, but we just kind of controlled it more than I thought we would. I’m happy with the result. I’m happy with the team play.”
DiBacco said two injured players could return for South’s next game, with another potentially returning in time for the Hawken matchup.
That gives the Rebels even more reason for optimism after an opening performance that already produced eight goals.
“We’re just looking forward to improving every game as we continue working together and settling in until the tournament comes around,” DiBacco said. “When we get those injured players back, and we’re at full strength, we’re just hoping to stay consistent the rest of the year.”
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Boys Soccer Match Result
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
 Willoughby South Rebels | 8 |
 Lakeside Dragons | 1 |
Top Performers
Willoughby South
Player Stats
Willoughby South
| Player | G | A | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles Bailey | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Zack Pizem | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Malekchi Carvajal | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Yunus Abas | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Reid Munson | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Quinn Faith | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ross Kinnaird | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Milan Tolo | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Game Notes
Updated automatically through this result and the latest reported player stats.
