Weddington Men’s Soccer has set a high standard of success over the last several seasons. With a 2015 NCHSAA 3A State Championship Title in under their belt, alongside many notable wins over the years, the team has not only boasted talent on the field, but also off the field; the team’s display of strong leadership qualities and team chemistry has led them to be one of the most recognized soccer programs in the county, state, and region. Each season, alongside training physical skills on the field, Coach Powell Williams also fosters leaders off the field as captains are chosen for the team. These athletes are relied upon to push the team to its highest potential, and spearhead the way for victory. They are looked up to for their mentality on and off of the soccer field. The naming of captains has been around for years at WHS, and this season was no exception to the longstanding tradition.

After the 2017 season, the Warriors suffered the loss of several senior standouts, leaving them to wonder “who will step-up to lead during the 2018 season?” Fortunately, two exceptional seniors took to the challenge – Colin Price and Noah Weisberg. These athletes not only have proven their skill-set on the field to be top-notch, but have also shown great leadership abilities off the field. These admirable qualities demonstrated by Price and Weisberg earned them each the prestigious title of “captain” for the 2018 season.

“I am very honored to be a captain of the 2018 Men’s Soccer Team,” Price commented. “I think as a team, we did lose quite a bit of talent last season (ten seniors), but our team was very accepting to the new leadership this season which has made it a smooth transition.”

Although the season did have a rocky start, suffering losses to South Meck and Porter Ridge, and tieing 3 teams (Providence, Ardrey Kell, and Ashbrook) things seem to be looking up for the Warriors, being 2-0 in conference play after wins against Monroe and Sun Valley. The team will also have a one week break between their Charlotte Catholic match (9/17) and their game against Marvin Ridge (9/24) which should bode well for Weddington, as it allows for plenty of practice and plenty of rest between playing two talented and conditioned conference rivals.

The expectations for WHS soccer are always high, now more than ever with talented rivals and the loss of several talented teammates. Due to the season’s rough start, everybody is feeling the pressure, especially the senior captains, as the Warriors make their best effort to push the team into a strong position heading into the NCHSAA State Playoffs.

“As a captain, I feel like every single game is intensified so much more than it ever was before,” says Price. “I want to make sure the team gets good results. I think Noah and I really feel responsible for our performance as a team because we are the leaders.”

It seems the Weddington Men’s Soccer Team is in great hands for the 2018 season under the guidance of Price and Weisberg. With practice, persistence, and patience the team should overcome and once again do justice to the Weddington soccer legacy.