Bethel's Zimmerman one of state’s best at scoring, generating assists.

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By Greg Billing, Staff Writer Updated 10:40 PM Tuesday, September 27, 2011

There are things Bethel High School senior Joe Zimmerman wants to accomplish by the time soccer season ends.

They include:

• Winning a fourth straight Cross County Conference championship.

• Repeating as Division III district champions.

• Earning the program’s first regional title and playing in Columbus Crew Stadium in the state championship.

It’s a good thing Zimmerman is so goal oriented.

The Bees’ standout entered the week with 31 goals to lead all of Ohio, according to stats posted on the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association website (www.ossca.org). Not one to be greedy with the ball, he’s also tied for fourth in the state with 14 assists.

“He’s had two or three goals that have been beautiful goals on headers with taller guys on him,” said Bethel coach Bob Hamlin, 309-158-39 in his 28th season. “He’s been able to get himself into dangerous position and he’s been one of the most consistent finishers I’ve had.”

Zimmerman and scoring partner Kyle Hamlin — last season’s CCC Player of the Year — have combined for 50 of the Bees’ 64 goals this season and 23 of the team’s 46 assists.

Starters since they were freshmen, the duo have formed one of the state’s best 1-2 punches.

“We’re pretty good at sharing the ball back and forth,” said Kyle Hamlin, who led the team with 27 goals last season. “A lot of times we’ll get two-man counter-attacks, me and Joe, and we’ll feed off each other.”

Zimmerman, who has 66 career goals, said he’s not shooting for a certain number, simply just enough to keep the Bees winning.

“Going into it, we just wanted to keep working as hard as we can and put the ball in the back of the net,” Zimmerman said. “We look at (the top scorers in the state) and I take a ton of pride in it. My teammates are always getting me the ball, and I like to get it back to them so they can score.”

For comparison, the single-season state record for goals is 62 by Ryan Pore of Mansfield Madison Comprehensive in 2001. The career record is 172 by Ken “Kiki” Willis of Youngstown Cardinal Mooney from 2001-04.

Neither Zimmerman nor Hamlin (64 career goals), best friends who have been playing together since the third grade, will challenge those marks. Nor will they topple Bethel’s record holder in both categories — Chris Parker scored 50 goals in 1988 and 147 for his career.

But they can take the Bethel program where it’s never been. This year’s Bees have won a school-record 11 straight games (they are 11-0 following Tuesday’s 8-1 win over Lehman Catholic) and are approaching the school record for wins (16, numerous times).

“It’s hard to contain two different kids with the scoring possibilities that Kyle and Joe have,” Bob Hamlin said. “If you pay a little too much attention to one, then the other can get you. They’re hard to lock down.”

With senior and three-year starter Dusty Elsass in goal, the Bees have outscored opponents 64-9.

Bethel faces likely its toughest test of the regular season Saturday against Dayton Christian (7-2-1). Dayton Christian is ranked No. 2 in the Miami Valley coaches poll, while Bethel is No. 3.

Leading goal scorers in Ohio
1.	Joe Zimmerman	Bethel	31
2.	Derrick Skillman	Upper Sandusky	26
3.	Calum Latham	Spg. Catholic Central	25
4.	Cole Davidson	Old Fort	23
5.	Jean Descollines	Walnut Ridge	22
6.	Jaden Horner	Franklin-Monroe	21
	Tyler Martini	Maplewood	21
8.	Braxton Jarvis	Wheelersburg	20
	Alex Wagener	Col. St. Francis DeSales	20
10.	Eric Ashley	Akron Coventry	19
	Kyle Hamlin	Bethel	19
	Rylee Woods	Greeneview	19
Source: www.ossca.org