WAUNAKEE, Wis. — The members of the 2020/21 Waunakee boys soccer team were not even a gleam in the eyes of their parents the last time the school made an appearance in the state tournament. Led by coach Dave Kettner, the team made it to the state’s biggest high school stage for the first time since 1999.

The seeds of success of the team were planted long before this year. Asked what was different about this year’s team, coach Kettner summed it up in a word that may seem cliche but is the foundation in successful soccer: “Teamwork.” He continued: “This group epitomized the team concept from the very beginning.” It was a culture established in 2018 and developed in subsequent years in as the primary philosophy of the Waunakee Boys High School Soccer program.

The cohesive culture of the program likely was more important than ever given the cancellation of the 2020 fall season. The group had to navigate unprecedented uncertainty. The kids have a strong and capable advocate in Coach Kettner, a lifelong soccer player and coach since 2005 but a business leader and patent attorney by trade.

“We worked hard to get the opportunity to play. We advocated for the kids’ health and safety interests in both public and private settings, and found ways to get team members involved in the valuable social interactions necessary for kids to be safe and healthy. We did intra-squad scrimmages and offered optional open training sessions in fall (2020). It was the maximum of what the WIAA allowed.”

“Through the fall and winter, the athletic department proceeded as if spring sports would happen,” Coach Kettner continued.  Because of this mindset “we had a plan in place when we received the go ahead. We opened the door to communicate early and often with the parents,” he said.

Once on the field in competition, the team was remarkable and proved to have an outstanding defense. Asked to name a few players who were critical to the state tournament run, Coach Kettner was reluctant to single out players but listed many players — true to the program’s foundation.

Team captain and senior Nathan Dresen manned the central midfield and was ultimately selected to the All State Best XI team for the Alternate Fall Season, meaning that he was recognized as one of the top 11 players in the state for the season. Nathan signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer for the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

• Team captain and senior Zach Tiemeyer “gave us a consistent and high level of spirit,” Coach Kettner said. Zach signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer for UW Superior.
• Senior Charlie Steck was “our firepoint, he energized us and caused opponents trouble with speed and determination,” Coach Kettner said. Charlie secured the team’s berth in the state tournament by netting the winning goal in the sectional final against Madison West.
• Senior Mason Lee was the team’s leading scorer. Mason was also recognized for his performance on the field and in the classroom and received Academic All State Honorable Mention Honors along with Senior Adam Acker.
• Senior Cole Helt anchored the defense and was selected to the All State team.
• Junior Decker Storch’s stellar play on defense earned him placement on the All State Best XI Team.
• Juniors Noah Jakel and Jackson Ehle were also integral to the team’s distinguished defense.
• Junior Joe Fuhremann was the team’s 6-foot-8-inch goalie. His clutch play in the playoffs including crucial penalty-kick saves against Middleton earned him an All State nomination.

The future of the program is bright. In addition to the Juniors listed above, other expected key contributors to the upcoming 2021 fall season include Cole Kettner who will be coming off an early season knee injury, Alex Hoopes, Josh Fried, Drew Lavold, Calvin Rahn and Isaiah Jakel.

The key to the success of the program on an ongoing, long-term basis is participation in a youth soccer program that has strong connection with the high school program. “I am hopeful that the success at the high school level can be an inspiration to youth to stay with the sport of soccer. We are blessed to have The Waunakee Area Soccer Club,” Coach Kettner said.

Coach Kettner is a strong proponent for youth soccer participation: “Soccer is great for youth development. The sport forces the problem-solving in the moment, on-the-spot decision making. It presents an excellent balance between teamwork and independence. It is a strategic game that can relate to problem-solving in the future as an adult.”

For more information on how to get your child involved, visit waunakeesoccer.org.

So this fall, head out to Waunakee Soccer Stadium and cheer on the team in its quest for a second consecutive trip to the state tournament. Coach Kettner: “There is no reason why we can’t repeat the success of last year. We will have a target on our back but we will be in a great position to handle all that is thrown at us.”

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