04/29/16 By Tyler Ellyson, Lee Enterprises
COLUMBUS — Daniel Maganda and Jordan Kort have developed a strong chemistry over the years, both on and off the soccer field.
The Central Community College sophomores grew up playing the sport together in Schuyler. During high school, they were part of Warrior teams that reached three straight Class B state tournaments, including a trip to the final in 2011.
"I've been playing with him pretty much my whole life, so I know his chemistry and I know how he plays," Kort said of Maganda, a teammate on the Central soccer team the past two seasons.
That relationship made things easier on the soccer field, and it helped both Schuyler Central graduates adjust to college life in nearby Columbus.
"You have someone to rely on when times get tough," Maganda said. "It just opens a lot of doors knowing someone already on the team."
Kort joked that he would follow Maganda to the next school after junior college, a tongue-in-cheek comment that became reality this week.
The duo signed their letters of intent Thursday to play soccer for Doane College. Central teammate Arturo Lopez of South Sioux City is also joining the Crete school, where former Raiders Jonathan Zuniga of Columbus and Jhonny Beltran of Crete are already on the men's soccer roster.
"We've had great success coming out of CCC before," said Doane assistant men's soccer coach Erik Berkowitz.
"We ended up landing the names that we're most interested in," he said of the newest group of recruits from CCC.
Doane, which finished 9-7-3 in 2015 and reached the Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals, has a lot to like in Maganda and Kort, according to Central assistant men's soccer coach Jamie Bennett.
"Both of them brought great leadership to the team," Bennett said.
Maganda played midfielder and forward for the Raiders before giving up his offensive role to help the Central defense after the team suffered some injuries.
That versatility stood out to Bennett.
"You could put him anywhere on the field and he was going to be one of the best players in that position," Bennett said.
For Kort, a defender at Central, it was his toughness that impressed the Raider coach.
"He wasn't always the fanciest, but he did the hard work and did the dirty work," Bennett said. "Defensively, he just made us a lot better back there."
Bennett isn't surprised they were able to land NAIA offers.
"They've got the skill and the desire to easily adjust to the next level," he said.
Maganda and Kort played their first season at Central under their former club soccer coach Jon Brezenski, who stepped down after the 2014 campaign. John Bailey, who coached both players at Schuyler Central, was also a member of the staff.
Maganda said playing at Central for two seasons prepared him for a level of soccer that's faster and more physical than the high school game.
"You expect a difference coming out of high school, but you didn't realize it until your first game," he said.
Kort agreed.
"I just wanted to get the experience and see if I could play on from there," he said.
Both recruits say academics played an equally important role in their decisions to attend Doane.
Kort plans to study environmental science and Maganda will major in social sciences with a goal of pursuing a career in human resources or social work.