By Jack Nicas

The Somerville High School boys soccer team has a new face this season. The face is a familiar one, but as a foe rather than a friend. George Scarpelli has been with Medford High School, Somerville’s main rival in soccer, for the past 22 years. Last year he coached the Medford girls soccer team, and before that he was the head coach of Medford boys soccer from 1987 to 2006. However, one of his biggest goals of the 2008 season is to beat his former team.

He called the Sept. 16 match up between Somerville and Medford at Dilboy Field “the most important game of the season.” Somerville will be playing the role of underdog, as Medford is the defending Greater Boston League champion, and though Somerville finished second behind Medford in the GBL last year, the team stands as just a young, feisty squad, Scarpelli said.

‚Äú[Medford has] been our rival for years, but now that we have their coach, it’s a big challenge,‚Äù team captain Theodoro Demorais said.

‚ÄúWe have a really strong core of returning players, which should help with the transition of a new coach,‚Äù Scarpelli said. ‚ÄúBut it’s a very young team-a lot of sophomores and juniors.‚Äù

Scarpelli said the team will lean heavily on its three captains: Seniors Verly Jean and Demorais and junior Joseph Abrantes. However, he added his philosophy is that of a complete team effort.

‚ÄúIt’s not a system where one or two players score the majority of the goals,‚Äù he said. ‚ÄúAnd it’s the same on defense; there will be 11 players on the field attacking the goal. It’s not going to be one person’s responsibility to mark one person.‚Äù

Team captain Demorais has a lot of hope for the upcoming season due to increased attention from the school and city. He said the team never had a real program, but now they are receiving more funds and attention; “People are finally starting to care about us,” he said.

That newfound regard for the team carries over to the new coaching staff. Demorais said Scarpelli got Dilboy Field for the team to practice on and started a new preseason program. ‚ÄúLast year we didn’t have practice all summer; we used to start two days before the first game. This year we started two months before,’ Demorais said.

Demorais’ personal preseason extends throughout the summer. ‚ÄúI’ve been running every morning, keeping my mind focused, and trying to do everything I can for my team,‚Äù he said.

Demorais’ goals for the season display his unselfish dedication to the program as a whole: ‚ÄúOur goals for this year is to get as many players as dedicated as we can and try to win the GBL,‚Äù said the senior, in his last year with the team. ‚ÄúWe can’t think that high because this is the first year, we’re focusing on starting the program. Even though winning is important, we want to get a program fixed so next year can be even better, and the year beyond.‚Äù

However, Scarpelli is setting the standards higher. ‚ÄúOur first goal is to make the tournament, our second is to win the GBL championship. But I shoot for the stars, so we’re going to look for the state championship,‚Äù he said. ‚ÄúI set my goals high; if you don’t ask for it, they’ll never make it.‚Äù

The new season starts at 3:45 p.m. Monday, September 8 versus North Quincy at Dilboy Field.