SPRINGFIELD — Austin Czachowski has replaced Matt Vickery as the head coach of the Effingham County boys soccer team. 

Czachowski spent two seasons as an assistant coach before being promoted last month. His first order of business is helping the Rebels become the team to beat in Region 2-AAAAAA.

“I would like to see us become the team that everyone is going to really dislike going to play,” Czachowski said. “Not from the sense that we are going to be dirty or cheat, but in the sense that you know if you are coming to play us it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be physical and you’re going to get a good game.

“In reality, that’s what everyone says about Glynn Academy and Richmond Hill. I want to be the bully on the block so to speak.”

While most people think players simply need speed and athleticism to put the ball in the back of the net, Czachowski thinks the game is quite physical and is looking forward to getting his team into a weight training regimen to help it stand tall against squads with a size advantage

“My philosophy, with the background in football and then just general knowledge of soccer, I want to bring more physicality to our team,” Czachowski said. “That was one thing you could always notice about other teams was that we would appear to be the team that wasn’t quite as physical and I think maybe that has to do with not having a definitive weightlifting program for soccer. I am looking to implement a weight training program to get our guys to be stronger, faster and a lot more physical in the way we play soccer.”

While the Rebels have had success, it’s been a struggle for the team to make a deep run in the state playoffs. Czachowski hopes to help the Rebels inch step closer to becoming a state title contender.

“(I am) looking forward to seeing growth and success,” Czachowski said. “It’s always so interesting to me when you start out the season. Each team is different every year because you don’t know what you’re going to get because kids got better, some kids didn’t get any better, so when you actually get to the season and see success, that’s the interesting part.”