It has been about a year since Ames senior boys soccer player Adam Benbah suffered a huge setback.
Benbah was playing for the Little Cyclones at the Valley Invitational on April 19 of the 2025 season when he suffered a broken collarbone.
Benbah was able to recover in time to play during the Little Cyclones’ 2-1 victory over Ankeny Centennial in the Class 4A Region 3 championship game. That win qualified the Little Cyclones for state, where they fell to Johnston in the 4A quarterfinals in a 2-1 battle.
Having missed several games with an injury and nearly missing out on the state tournament stuck with Benbah during the offseason.
Benbah has been playing the game since around the age of five, so he has always had a deep appreciation for the game. But his love of the sport grew even more following the injury, and it made him want to make the most of his senior season this spring.
“There’s definitely been a little bit of a different fire under him to start this season,” said Ames coach Ryan McGowan. “It helped him realize how important it truly is for him and how much he loves this game.”
Benbah might be naturally shy, but when he gets onto the field he starts to come out of his shell.
“There are so many people around the world that are so passionate about soccer,” said Benbah. “I’m one of them.”
His dedication to the sport, along with his fancy footwork, earned him some varsity playing time as a sophomore. He scored one goal and dished out three assists in 16 games.
He took it up a notch as a junior in 2025.
Even though Ames was loaded with offensive talent last year in midfielder Ethan Sigurdsson and forward Zachary Cuva, who combined for 34 goals, Benbah found his way onto the field. He tallied three goals and two assists despite playing in just nine games.
“He brings a flair to our team with his dribbling,” said Ames midfielder Jamison Lynch. “He’s a real technical player.”
Benbah’s style of play does not mirror his quiet personality.
“You can dribble a lot and be flashy,” Benbah said. “Playing under the lights 7:30 at night, it’s really nice.”
This year Benbah is expected to take his game to a whole new level. But what he adds to the team in scoring might not be his most valuable asset to the team.
Ames lost a lot off last year’s state qualifier. The Little Cyclones graduated 11 players who played in at least 10 games.
The Little Cyclones lost nearly 80% of their scoring, their top defenders, including all-state center back Christian Gallt, and their starting keeper.
That means someone is going to have to step up as a leader to help the younger players adjust as quickly as possible. As a team captain, Benbah said he is ready to embrace that role in 2026.
“I took a lot of inspiration from Christian,” Benbah said. “He was the prior captain, and he brought a lot of good positives to the team. I’m hoping to do the same this year.”
Ames midfielder Owen Meier said he can see a difference in Benbah’s demeanor on the field.
“McGowan always tells us that since Adam was a freshman he’s always had to grow,” Meier said. “He’s quiet, but when he gets out on the field he’s been talking more.”
Ames has yet to play its first game due to inclement weather interfering during the opening week. But the Little Cyclones did get in a scrimmage with defending 2A state champion Gilbert on March 27 at Gilbert.
The Little Cyclones fell by a 3-1 score. But after falling behind 3-0 early in the second half, they outplayed a talented and experienced Tiger team for most of the final 40 minutes.
“It gave us a lot of confidence,” Benbah said. “I realize there’s a lot of talent on the team, we just have to focus during practice, build the team chemistry and eventually we’ll be a top team in the state.”
If Benbah can stay healthy, McGowan is expecting big things from him this season.
“Hopefully lots of goals and assists for him and just being a catalyst for us going forward,” McGowan said. “Creating a lot of opportunities and making his teammates better.”
Two of Benbah’s main objectives this season are to score a lot of goals and be satisfied with his performance every night. But he would take the most satisfaction from helping Ames make another deep postseason run.
“A lot of people don’t think we’re a good team anymore,” Benbah said. “I think we are. We have a lot of talent and we’re going to build it up.”
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: How Adam Benbah can lead Ames back to state in boys soccer
Reporting by Joe Randleman, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
