Gering's Brost, Johns sign with WNCC soccer

Gering’s Keah Brost and Taylor Johns have been key components in the Bulldog’s turnaround of the soccer program, including a state berth their junior year.

Now, the two seniors will be taking their soccer talents to the next level after signing letter of intents with Western Nebraska Community College. Both are expected to make an impact on a Cougar women’s soccer team that finished 10-7-2 last season.

“Coach {Todd] Rasnic is getting two girls that are surpassed by nobody in work ethic,” Gering girls soccer coach John Scott said. “I have been around these girls since they were 11 years old and had the opportunity to coach them since then. They are two girls that work as hard as any two kids that I have been associated with. They love the game. They love the work that goes a long with it. They are 100 percent dedicated to the team, which in this day and age, it is hard to come by.”

Brost and Johns are excited to continue their soccer playing at the next level. In fact, both talented players are looking at attending WNCC as a stepping stone to the next level.

“I choose to go to WNCC because I thought it would be a good transition to college,” Johns, who has stared every match for Gering since she was a freshman, said. “Living in such a small [city] it would be overwhelming to go someplace else. WNCC will be a good step and the soccer program helped a lot.”

For Brost, who has been playing soccer since she was four and the last two with Gering, is excited to be playing two more years in the Twin Cities area.

“I chose to go to WNCC because of the small classroom atmosphere and to get collegiate soccer experience,” she said. “I would like to transfer to the University of Wyoming to finish my degree. It is my stepping stone, I guess.”

Brost and Johns are also well prepared for the collegiate level.

“I have heard various things from family members [about practice], but I think I can handle it,” Brost, who cousins Coote and Cade Mullory and David Thurin played for the Cougars, said. “I am really excited to play there and follow in my cousin’s footsteps.”

For Johns, who is Gering’s all-time goal-scoring leader, her only thought was to play soccer in college. Johns was the Bulldog’s setter in volleyball through high school.

“I really like the physical contact. It is an aggressive sport and you have more room to play unlike volleyball where you are more confined,” she said. “It probably will be a lot more fast-paced and aggressive, and you will need to be more accurate with everything you do pretty much. It will be a lot harder play.”

Rasnic is excited to get two local athletes that love the physical-side of the game.

“It means a lot to have a pool of local talent to draw from,” he said. “At WNCC, one of my goals is to try to incorporate as many local players as I can and put a team on the field that can compete at a high level.

“I think Keah and Taylor will be players that not only will compete at that level, but will excel in their areas of expertise. I see great things from both of these players. I have seen them play as well and agree with John’s assessment that they are hardworking players who, like Taylor alluded to, are not afraid of contact. They certainly give 110 percent while on the field.”

Both will have at least one more game left for the 9-4 Bulldogs when they face Scottsbluff in the semi-finals of the district tournament on Tuesday. Brost said that it will be hard to leave a team she has grown up with.

“I am really going to miss all the girls,” she said. “I have become good friends with all of them. It will be kind of hard to step on a new team where I will only know Taylor, most likely. It will be fun.”

But, Brost will have Johns next year. In fact, Johns said having Brost at WNCC will make the transition to her new team much easier.

“It will be really helpful [to have a teammate up there] because I will have somebody to fall back on if I need help with anything,” Johns, who had been playing soccer since she was five, said. “It will make the transition easier in getting to know people in having someone there I already know.”

Scott is excited to be able to watch his two stars play soccer for two more years as well.

“The bottom line, they are just two great kids. Their abilities are fantastic and it will be fun to be able to see them play together at the next level. They are both very deserving of that,” he said. “They will be strongly missed and they were a big factor in the turnaround of this program at Gering. They are fun to be around and of all the years that I had an opportunity to coach them, I don’t think I had a situation where they disappointed me.”

The Cougar soccer team will begin pre-season practices Aug 1 and their first scrimmage match is slated for Aug. 16 at the CSU-Pueblo.