After making a strong push to the Region 6/Plains District Championship a season ago, the Barton Community College men's soccer team enters the 2025 campaign with high expectations, earning the No. 2 spot in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College (KJCCC) Preseason Coaches' Poll, as released Tuesday by the league office.
The Cougars are coming off a 12-7-3 overall record, finishing as the KJCCC runner-up with a 7-4-1 mark in league play. Barton carried that momentum into the postseason, reaching the Region 6/Plains District title match for a second consecutive year before narrowly falling 2-1 to Cowley College.
Now in his fourth season at the helm, head coach Rafael Simmons leads a group determined to take the final step and return the Cougars to the NJCAA National Tournament for the second time under his leadership.
Key returners expected to provide leadership and experience on both ends of the pitch include reigning First-Team All-KJCCC/Region 6 defender Sho Kinjo, midfielders Gabriel Henrique and Etienne Grandjean, forward Diogo Giminez, and goalkeeper Gabriel Bergamin.
"There's hunger in this group," Simmons said. "They've put in the offseason work and understand what it takes to get to that championship level."
Reigning champion and No. 4 nationally ranked Cowley College earned the top spot in the poll. Dodge City Community College followed Barton in third, followed by Seward County Community College in fourth. Coffeyville and Garden City rounded out the poll in a tie for fifth.
The 2025 season officially kicks off August 22 in Dodge City, Kansas against Trinidad State College. Due to ongoing renovations at the Cougar Soccer Complex the date and location of Barton's first home game will be announced later. Conference play begins September 10 with a road contest at Seward County Community College.