Published Thursday | May 10, 2007

State Soccer Tourney: Learing on the fly at Lincoln East

BY DARYL BLUE

WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT

LINCOLN - Jim Ebke loves a challenge.

Lincoln East's Jim Ebke, left, had never played organized soccer before this year. All-state teammate and fellow forward A.J. Dingledine has helped Ebke learn the finer points of the game as the Spartans try for their third straight state title.

When the Lincoln East multi-sport athlete decided to spend his final spring in high school on the Spartans' soccer team, there was plenty of skepticism. Ebke had never played organized soccer, and his only memory of the sport was during recess of his early grade school years.

"I switched from baseball to track my sophomore year, then went back to baseball last year," he said. "I told some of my friends last year that I wanted to play as many different spring sports as I could. They said I couldn't play soccer, so I decided to challenge myself."

Ebke met the challenge. He will start at forward when East faces Millard West in a 9 a.m. first-round match Saturday in the Class A state soccer tournament at Creighton's Morrison Stadium.

Ebke's climb from untested rookie to starter has been filled with questions and steady improvement. East coach Jeff Hoham knew that teaching Ebke the game would be more than an overnight process.

"We were talking at halftime one game about what we were doing and how we were going to approach the second half. When I was finished, I asked if there were any questions," Hoham said. "Jim raised his hand and said, 'I have no idea what we're doing.' I told him, 'Jim, just go out there and be an athlete.'"

Just being an athlete has carried Ebke from a rough preseason tryout to a starting spot opposite senior A.J. Dingledine, a three-year starter and returning All-Nebraska forward. Dingledine, who will play soccer next year at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla., said he initially questioned Ebke's decision to play soccer.

"But Jim Ebke is a great athlete with a lot of determination and heart," Dingledine said. "He proved to everybody that he can play the game."

Since he plays the same position, Dingledine has been an invaluable resource when Ebke has questions about the finer points of the game. Unlike Ebke, Dingledine has played organized soccer since age 9.

"I started off the season not playing a lot because I had a lot to learn," Ebke said. "I kept asking for help on what to do strategy-wise. I talk to A.J. a lot, and we've stayed after practice to work on fundamentals. I'm not playing at the high level like my teammates, but they're great guys and it's been fun to be part of the team."

Ebke was the Spartans' starting quarterback and safety last fall as he directed the football team to an 8-3 record and a berth in the state quarterfinals. He was the honorary captain of the All-Nebraska offensive unit and earned a football scholarship to South Dakota. He also started on the basketball team.

Hoham said Dingledine's experience and Ebke's athleticism complement each other on the field while they fill different roles.

"Jim takes all of the throw-ins because he has a cannon for an arm," Hoham said. "He can throw a ball 45 to 55 yards, and it's like a frozen rope. A.J. has great speed, great vision, and almost all of his shots are on goal. Defenses double- and triple-team him, so he has to be a schemer to figure out a way to get open."

Ebke said playing soccer has changed his attitude about the sport.

"It's a very physical game," he said. "I used to think soccer players were dinky, but I don't think that way now. There's a lot of shoving and jumping into each other that you don't realize when you're just watching the game."