The goals before the season may have been a little bit different, but the results are exactly what the Cherokee High School boys soccer team wanted.
“Before our first game, we put our goals on the board, and this year they were different. It was ‘have more team unity’ and ‘stick together,’” head coach Glenn Thomsen said. “There’s been a closeness with this team unlike any year I can remember.”
The team-first atmosphere is paying off. Over their first 14 games, the Chiefs outscored their opponents 29–13 while accruing a 9–2–3 record. According to Thomsen, Cherokee’s ability to score was never a question; defense was the concern heading into the season.
“Before the season, I knew we would have a strong offense. I had a young offense last year that was becoming another year older, another year more experienced. The majority of our offense are seniors,” Thomsen said. “Our defense was younger, so I wasn’t sure what we had there. But they’ve come together and played really well. We’ve been strong defensively.”
The numbers back Thomsen’s point. The Chiefs allowed one goal or fewer in 10 of their first 14 games, seven of which were shutouts. Contributions from both upper and under classmen have keyed a strong regular season for Cherokee.
“We have six senior starters right now. The rest of the team is made up of juniors and sophomores. It really is a collective effort from everyone. It’s about the skill of the players, not what class they are. Seniors may be the strongest physically but from a tactical and understanding the game standpoint, underclassmen can contribute if they have the ability,” Thomsen said.
Thomsen said the team enjoys when it matches up against other LRHSD schools or teams from neighboring towns.
“Guys on our team play with guys from other teams on traveling and club teams throughout the year, so it’s fun for them. They definitely get up for the games against other teams in the district. The students from the schools get into it even more than the players I think,” Thomsen said.
As the regular season comes to a close, Thomsen said his message to the team would be the same as it has been all season.
“We cannot take any team lightly. We lost to teams on days that we controlled the entire game. We outshot a team 23–8 and didn’t come away with the win. We just have to remain accountable to one another,” Thomsen said.
Luckily for Thomsen, he is not the only one preaching the importance of taking each game one at a time. The Chiefs are filled with leaders, some vocal, some leading by example.
“This team and our captains are great about that. Yelling to each other to pick it up and not get down on each other. The team is honest with each other and honest with me, and we think there is a lot more we can do,” he said.
