East soccer relies on 'Baby D' and his big brother

BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star

The Lincoln East sophomore was asked what he wanted to be called: A.J. or Anthony?

A.J. Dingledine (left), a sophomore, and his brother, Pat Dingledine, a senior, are teammates on the Lincoln East boys soccer team. (Robert Becker)

He quietly answered A.J., but then a bunch of loud voices drowned him out in their offering of another opinion.

"Just call him Baby D," they said.

As in: Baby Dingledine, little brother of East senior Pat Dingledine.

Whether it be A.J., Anthony or Baby D, don't shortchange him on a soccer field. He has skills that sophomores aren't supposed to have, the leading scorer with nine goals for the No. 1-ranked and 6-0 Spartans.

"He definitely ranks in the top five of sophomores I've coached," said East coach Jeff Hoham while giving a look that suggested A.J. might very well rank at the top of that top five.

Added Pat: "A.J.'s a lot better than I am."

The truth is No. 1 East is loaded, and to pick one player as the team's best is challenging and probably unfair. For certain, the Spartans would not be the same team without Mike Johnson, the Nebraska Gatorade player of the year who had a goal and assist against Northeast.

But East would probably be hurt just as much by the loss of one Dingledine, let alone both of them.

Both brothers agree that A.J. is the better finisher, with a knack for pinpointing shots from even the toughest of spots. Meanwhile, Pat is thought of as the better passer, the guy with a harder shot who can bury goals from outside the box.

Pat, who transferred from Northeast after his sophomore year, displayed both traits in the first half on Wednesday. After making a great run with the ball, he fed a pretty pass to Johnson for a goal. Less than two minutes later, Pat scored a goal of his own on a left-footed rip that left the Northeast keeper standing in his tracks.

Not to be outdone, A.J. scored a goal in the second half and then made an even more spectacular play on a goal he didn't get.

While running to his left with a keeper charging him, he took a pass and redirected the ball off the laces of his right shoe. The ball looped over the keeper and hit off the top bar. It didn't go in, but very few players could have made such a shot.

Asked where he found all his skills, A.J. said: "I just learned a lot from my brother, by watching him."

When Pat was asked about Baby D, he gave a sincere smile, then said: "It's awesome having my kid brother out there. What more can you ask for?"