After losing 11 seniors from last year's state playoff squad, Lassiter coach Billy Pritz faced a somewhat uncertain picture for his team coming into the 2010 season.

But instead of rebuilding, Pritz's Trojans maintained their success to earn a return trip to the postseason in his second season at the helm.

For keeping Lassiter at the playoff level, Pritz is the 2010 Marietta Daily Journal/Cobb County Boys Soccer Coach of the Year.

"There are so many good coaches in this county, and it's good to be in such good company," Pritz said. "Only being a head coach for two years, I'm surprised to get this award so soon, but I am honored to receive it."

Losing 11 seniors from last year's 12-7 team, which lost to eventual state champion Collins Hill in the first round of the state playoffs, Pritz entered 2010 with a younger lineup that included three sophomores and a freshman.

"Coming into the season, we thought it would be tough," Pritz said. "We graduated 11 seniors, so we had a lot of new faces and we were very young."

However, Pritz's young Lassiter squad showed their promise immediately with a couple of shutout wins over county powers Harrison and North Cobb, beating the Hoyas 4-0 in the season opener and the Warriors 8-0 in the second game.

Another key game was a 1-0 win over Area 6AAAAA and state power Centennial, with the Trojans shutting down the Knights' Carlos McCrary, a North Carolina signee, in the process.

"Centennial was the game that set the tone," Pritz said. "We shut out one of the best strikers in the state, Carlos McCrary. It was a huge game for us."

But the biggest win of them all was a 2-1 upset of Collins Hill, which was the top-ranked team in the nation at one point this season and eventually repeated as state champion.

"Collins Hill came to our place No. 1 in the nation and the state champions the last two years in a row. We were at full strength and played really well and beat the state champions, which is something we can build on for next year."

Lassiter's run came to an end in the first round of the Class AAAAA state playoffs. Missing starters Jordan McCrary, who was playing for the U.S. U18 national team, and Colton Bryant, who sat out the game after being issued a red card in the final regular-season game, lost to then-No. 1 Northview 2-1.

While losing four seniors, including goalkeeper Shane Parham, Pritz is excited about next season as he returns nine starters, including all-county selections McCrary, Bryant, Tyler Happ and Ryan Deveikis. McCrary, who has verbally committed to North Carolina, was the Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year.

"We're losing four guys and they're four good players, but we're returning the core of our team, and they're going to push us forward," Pritz said. "We have nine starters coming back, and we have a lot of young talent, so we're going to have an outstanding team next season."