Highland boys' soccer coach Lloyd Siegendorf, in his first year as coach of the boys' team, is borrowing some famed advice from legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden: The star of the team is the team. On a team where many individual skill sets are of rare form, Siegendorf plans to instill the idea in his players that individual flashes of greatness are secondary to sustained team success.

The individual ability that Highland possesses was on full display for all of last season and deep into the playoffs, as the Rams lost to eventual state champion Woods Cross in a semifinals shootout. And although several players who contributed to that run are back and even newer faces are refilling the talent pipeline at Highland, there is no doubt some players from last season will be notably missed.

Walking the halls of Highland is the Rams'-- and quite possibly the state of Utah's -- best soccer player. James Rogers' talents had former coach Eric Bliss unsure about the now-junior's return this season.

Bliss wasn't sure he would even have Rogers last year due to a youth tournament in Spain. But with the tournament held off until June, Rogers was able to score, score and score some more for Highland to become the 4A Most Valuable Player. What's keeping the phenom out of the lineup now is his fall stint with a Denver high school and a Utah athletics rule preventing a player from playing two full soccer seasons in a school year.

Gone to graduation is 2009 first-team All-State selection Erik Cortes, taking with him his supreme strength on the ball and leaving a void in the midfield where so much or a team's defensive and offensive success is orchestrated.

"I'm praying every night that we can find that kid to fill that spot," Siegendorf said.

Rogers' older brother, Skills, also graduated as well as second-team All-State selection Abdi Isaaq. Plenty of question marks present themselves as Highland embarks on its 2010 campaign. But the group Siegendorf has to work with has inspired tempered optimism in the coach.

"I just haven't seen them together as a young team," Siegendorf said. "We could be very good or very average. We'll have to wait and see. I think we're going to be very good overall but we have to find some people that can finish."

Daxton Wilson is someone that the Rams will rely upon at forward. For Wilson, improvement at the front is simple: stop trying to play pretty. Maybe it's a telling example of how the team plans to harness its blatant ability.

"We just need to hit the ball on the goal and not worry about setting it up perfectly," Wilson said.

Siegendorf is using a 4-4-2 formation, establishing a defensive-minded approach and sending forward only two strikers. Wilson doesn't think that a 4-3-3 has been ruled out, especially if that's what it takes to create attacking chances.

But the defensive approach is probably wise for a young team that is talent-heavy in the back third. Returning starter Phanuel Kavita is someone that Siegendorf expects to star for his team this season. As in much the same way that Rogers' participation last season was in question, a tournament in Germany with the Utah Olympic Developmental Team in May has provided Kavita with a tenuous schedule.

But while the Rams have him, they'll use him. For now it will be as a defender, alongside Luis Escobar and Luke Kooyman, other strong contributors from a year ago. Or maybe Siegendorf will push him forward to pair with midfielder Pablo Manguia to solidify a strong center. No matter how Kavita fits into the formation, he will be a leader.

"I like the pressure," Kavita said. "It's actually pushing me to help the team."