SALEM TOWNSHIP — Heading into its annual 7-on-7 tournament, the Mt. Abram boys soccer program faced unusual uncertainty following the announcement last month of longtime head coach Darren Allen’s departure.

The Roadrunners were coming off their first state championship in program history last fall, but were without a leader for their Class C title defense.

“When we heard the news, it hit hard on a lot of players,” Ash Rollins, who will be a senior in the upcoming season, said. “A lot of confusion, a lot of mixed emotions.”

Bryce Wilcox, another senior-to-be, called Allen’s departure “tough” but unsurprising.

“It was pretty tough, you know, with ‘DA’ leaving, but I think we all just knew it was happening eventually, so we just got to be positive about it,” Wilcox said. “He’s the first guy I hugged right on the field. When he told us he was retiring, it was the only moment I thought of. It was really special.”

Allen, who coached the Mt. Abram boys team from 2001-07 and 2015 through last year, stepped down as coach and teacher at the school due to what he said was a lack of support for the school’s athletic programs by the school district.

The coaching vacancy has since been filled by girls basketball head coach and baseball assistant Jason Wing. He was hired Thursday as the new boys soccer coach, stepping up from the JV team he coached last year.

“We just wanted to basically keep the train on the tracks, per se,” Wing said. “I wanted to make sure someone new didn’t come in and shake things up on them — they’re really comfortable with the system that DA and (assistant coach) Glenn Mirlocca had, and I just felt like there was some need, so I stepped up.”

Mirlocca will remain an assistant coach this season.

Prior to becoming the JV coach in 2023, Wing spent a few seasons taking stats for the varsity team and had been asked by Allen to act as a third coach, when needed.

Wing was already coaching the Roadrunners’ “B Team” on Saturday at the annual Western Mountain 7v7 tournament, which featured more than 50 boys and girls teams and was hosted likely for the final time by Allen and his wife.

“They’re already settled in, this was stuff was already predetermined, so it just gives me a chance to settle into my role and work with the kids a little bit,” Wing said. “They’ve had Mirlocca, and so then we’ll roll in fresh after when the season starts.”

Adding to the fresh start is new athletic director John Chase, who formerly coached the boys basketball team. Chase’s promotion to athletic director leaves an opening for a boys basketball coach, along with the need for a JV boys soccer coach to replace Wing.

Mirlocca said this year’s boys soccer squad will be well-rounded, as most players are multi-sport athletes and train a lot in the offseason. However, he noted that there is a big gap to fill after the graduation of talented players such as Morgan Thibodeau, the 2023 Sun Journal Boy Soccer Player of the Year, and Payton Mitchell.

“We’ve got a lot of players that are skilled, they have the IQ to play the smart way, and they’re really dedicated to score,” Mirlocca said. “They just don’t use this as a three-month activity. They’re really into it, they do their winter program, a couple of them do the spring club stuff, but they’re always staying active.”

Rollins and Wilcox both have experience with being coached by Wing.

“I’ve known Jason for a long time,” Wilcox said. “Great guy, and coming off the basketball court, he’s always on the bench. I always go sit next to him and he gets me focused. Keeps me in my head. I really like having him there, it calms me down. Gives me focus.”

Rollins added that “everyone knows Jason,” through the baseball and basketball programs, and that the entire team has a lot of admiration and respect for him.

“Logan Dube, Bruce Wilcox, Ash Rollins and Killian Pillsbury, I’ve coached those guys in some capacity since they’ve been 5 or 6 years old, probably, in baseball and up through hoops,” Wing said. “I guess I could probably go right up the (roster).”

Wing said he’s had his hands in the boys soccer program for the last three to four years, and he enjoys the competitive mix of athletes and sports. He added that watching the boys soccer team win the state championship makes his debut even more momentous.

“There’s no better time than right now, the athletics of Mt. Abram boys and girls have been very successful,” Wing said.

Looking to their senior seasons, Rollins and Wilcox said they’re excited to focus on the game and work towards another gold ball.

“I want the boys to keep dogging, you know?” Wilcox said. “We got some wins to bust out, and we got some goals we got to show and prove to other people that we’re not going away.”