Missing the playoffs last year was a big motivator for Amari Everage heading into his senior season with the Permian boys soccer team.
The defender learned many lessons from the experience, the most important being to stand as a cohesive unit with his teammates.
Talent alone wasn’t going to get the Panthers over the hump in the 2021-22 campaign.
Everage has since taken over a leadership role, helping Permian clinch a postseason berth with a fourth-place finish in District 2-6A.
Permian boys soccer coach Luis Carmona said Everage responded well to the challenge of making something of himself in his final high school season.
“He’s a great kid to have on your team,” Carmona said. “Honestly, probably one of the best defenders, if not the best in the district at that center back position.”
Everage started his time at Permian as an attacker.
Like many young soccer players, he wanted to put the ball in the back of the net as many times as he could.
When the Panthers had an open spot on the back line, he decided to switch over because he thought it would help fill a team need.
Everage didn’t feel the move was too taxing.
“Switching to defense, it’s really the same thing,” Everage said. “Everybody’s a defender when our team doesn’t have the ball.”
He still hasn’t forgotten his offensive skills, as he can be seen pushing forward when the Panthers need an extra option on attack.
A strong communicator on the field, Everage likens his game to that of Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.
The Dutch center back is well-known for his physical play and ability to rally his teammates in tough situations.
Everage and the Panthers will start their postseason push with a Class 6A bi-district round showdown against El Paso Eastlake at 4 p.m. Friday in El Paso.
The last time Permian (7-9-3 overall) qualified for the playoffs was in 2020, the same spring that saw the start of the COVID-19 pandemic cancel sporting events all over the world.
After suffering an injury, Everage wouldn’t have gotten a chance to make his mark.
The opportunity is here and the Panthers will face a tall task against a team that likes to possess the ball and attack down the wings.
Carmona credited each team member for stepping up throughout the season to ensure that they’d make it to the postseason.
“The wonderful thing about this team was that, it was different kids at different games in different situations,” Carmona said. “Collectively, the boys as a team earned it and they deserve everything that they got this year.”
Everage knows he’ll have to encourage his teammates to play at a high level if they want to survive and advance against a quick team like El Paso Eastlake.
Before suffering a 2-1 loss to Midland Legacy to end the regular season, Permian showed that it can hold opponents off at pivotal times.
After suffering three straight losses, the Panthers were undefeated for seven straight matches where they moved up the district standings.
They recorded four victories and three draws between Feb. 8 and March 4.
Everage said strengthening the team bond was important during the positive stretch, using last year’s stumble as an example for his teammates.
“That’s one of the key things that most people don’t see about the sport,” Everage said. “Not necessarily the skill, but playing for each and knowing the job that you have to do, executing together.”
Knowing the hard work that it took to get into the playoffs, Everage wants to come away with a positive result and make the four-hour trip worth something.
“Four teams make it, but you’ve got to go through the first round and I feel like that’s really making playoffs,” Everage said. “It’s more than just getting there, now we’ve got to go.
“That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya
