Soccer starts in the back. The glory comes to the players up front that put the ball in the net, but a team will struggle without stability and leadership at the base of any formation. For the Todd County Central Rebels, it all starts with senior goalkeeper Jonah Rager.
Jonah took his lumps over his first two seasons, winning only five games combined as a freshman and sophomore, but things began to turn for the youthful Rebels as they won five of their last seven matches in 2021. Jonah earned his second All-13th District award as a junior, making 98 saves in 12 appearances and allowing just over two goals per contest with a pair of shutouts. He capped the season with a 12-save performance as the Rebels fell to Russellville 4-2 in the district semifinals.
With all but one player back and a talented group of youngsters ready to contribute at the varsity level in 2022, the Rebels look poised to challenge for their first district title since 2012. Jonah’s worked in the offseason to make sure he’s up for the task, helping his club side Bowling Green Elite FC 04 to a runner-up finish in the KY State Cup, and getting a taste of semi-pro soccer in the UPSL with a couple of games between the posts for Elizabethtown, KY’s Deportivo MJ. He’s also refined his skills in sessions with goalkeeper coach Matt Pickens of the MLS’s Nashville SC. Pickens enjoyed a 17-year professional career with four MLS teams and a stint in England with Queens Park Rangers.
Jonah’s hard work and achievements have caught the eye of college coaches, and he says recruiting has picked up as he heads into his final season in Elkton.
