Rose heart and soul of Dighton-Rehoboth
Last season, as a junior, Dighton-Rehoboth’s Keith Rose scored 34 goals, a school record for a season. But he wasn’t satisfied with resting on his laurels.
To improve his game, the senior striker spent the summer training. He worked construction during the day, doing everything from roofing to building a garage. He then spent five hours every night practicing with his father and lifting weights.
“Soccer is my life,’’ Rose said. “I know I have to push harder than anyone else on the field. I knew I had to come into this season more physical and more muscular, to outrun all the other kids.’’
Rose is Dighton-Rehoboth’s career leader in goals, with 86. He has 28 so far this season and has also racked up 21 assists during his career, giving him 107 career points.
Rose played on the JV team his freshman year, which makes his career totals even more impressive. That season, the Falcons had 15 seniors on their roster, and Rose wasn’t called up until the state tournament.
Falcons coach Steve Kulpa said Rose’s tremendous speed and the ability to control the ball make him so effective. Rose runs a consistent 5.9 seconds in the 50-yard dash for the school’s track team, Kulpa said.
“Keith is one of the fastest strikers I’ve ever had,’’ said Kulpa, who is in his 10th year as D-R’s coach. “The ball is always attached to his foot. When he plays games, it’s incredible how he gets through two or three defenders and gets a shot off.’’
Rose said he learned a lot of his footwork from Julius Somerville, who has been his coach with the Massachusetts Premier League’s Explosion FC for the past eight years.
It’s been tougher for Rose to score this season. The Falcons lost a slew of seniors from last year’s squad, and the team features a number of underclassmen. As a result, teams have been able to double and triple team Rose.
Kulpa said he has a number of plays designed to free Rose in the open field, but the extra coverage can ultimately be an advantage for the Falcons.
“If he draws one, two, or three players, it’s outstanding,’’ Kulpa said. “It opens up the field for some of our other players.’’
Sometimes the extra coverage is frustrating for Rose.
“ It gets to you sometimes, but you’ve got to push through it,’’ he said. “I knew coming into the season I was going to be a marked man. But it opens up my players more, and gets them chances to score.’’
The Falcons are 8-7-1, after finishing 12-6-1 last season. They need three more points to reach the state tournament for the 15th consecutive season.
“[Rose] wants to see us get the victories,’’ Kulpa said. “He’s one of only three seniors starting. It’s hard for him in terms of what he wants. For us to be 8-7-1, it does get very frustrating.’’
Rose has attracted the eyes of some college recruiters. He has been in contact with Franklin Pierce, Southern New Hampshire, Stonehill, Bryant, and Manhattan, among others. He said he isn’t close to making a decision yet.
For now, though, Rose is focused on the Falcons’ season. He has yet to win a game in the state tournament, the only accomplishment lacking on his D-R resume. The Falcons fell to Martha’s Vineyard, 3-2, via penalty kicks during his sophomore year, and lost to eventual South sectional champion Nauset last season.
The challenge of winning in the tournament will be even tougher for the Falcons this season, because the team moved up to Division 1 as part of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s realignment. But Rose is confident his team can produce come playoff time.
“We have off days, but we push through them,’’ Rose said. “But the seniors all want to get in. This is our last chance.’’
Games to Watch:
Monday: Oliver Ames (10-2-3) at Bridgewater-Raynham (6-3-2), 3:30 p.m. - Both teams have faltered after starting the season strongly. A victory would be a big boost for either in this non-league match.
Tuesday: No. 3 New Bedford (12-0-1) at No. 7 Brockton (10-2-2), 5:30 p.m. - The Big 3 title is on the line as these two Division 1 powers square off.
Wednesday: No. 19 Brookline (12-2-2) at No. 2 Framingham (12-1-3), 4 p.m. - Brookline hasn’t allowed a goal since a 1-1 tie with BC High on Oct. 4. Can the Flyers break the streak?
Thursday: No. 12 Duxbury (10-0-3) at Hingham (11-3-0), 4 p.m. - Hingham needs to win this game if it has any chance of sharing the Patriot Keenan title with the Green Dragons.
Friday: No. 11 North Andover (11-1-2) at No. 6 Masconomet (12-1-1), 3:45 p.m. - North Andover needs a victory if it hopes to garner a share of the Cape Ann Large title.
Saturday: Burlington (2-8-5) at No. 1 Lexington (13-0-3), 2:30 p.m. - Burlington has struggled this year, but it did manage to tie the top-ranked Minutemen on Oct. 1.
