Quality soccer teams and Westminster go hand-in-hand.
The Wildcats have won 14 boys soccer championships overall, but its success in the past 10 years has not been rivaled. Well, possibly by the girls team. It is impossible to mention soccer and Westminster without talking about the program’s overall success.
Since 2011, the Wildcat boys have won six state championships – three in Class 2A from 2011 to 2013 and the past three in 3A. Overall, Westminster’s soccer program -- including the defending-champion girls team -- account for 27 soccer titles. The girls team has won six titles since 2013, including five consecutive in Class 3A.
The program, like all teams across the state, lost a chance to play its 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But for defending champions, the lost season stung a bit more.
This season, the Wildcat boys are ranked No. 1 in Class 3A with a 9-1-3 overall record, 3-0 in Region 5-3A. Since a 2-1 loss to McCallie (Tenn.) on March 16, Westminster has won five matches, including region victories against Sandy Creek (5-1) and Greater Atlanta Christian (2-0).
Westminster will travel to Class 7A No. 10 Parkview Friday. Boys coach Scott Snyder took the time before the matchup to answer a few questions by telephone about his team, the season and what to look for between now and the playoffs:
Q. How has the team looked this year after losing a season?
A. Well, you’re always happy to play. That’s what we’ve been through. I would just rather play, even if it is to my detriment. And it’s just too much fun for the kids. I feel like we have kind of rounded into form where I have actually gotten to see the same people play a bit. So I have been able to see what is the best system for us. I think we are finally hitting our stride.
Q. What about the playoffs? Will all the best players be able to play?
A. I hope so.
Q. Was it difficult to adjust to this season?
A. The early part of the season was hard because I had a lot of players missing. The last two weeks, I am still missing players, but I have consistently had guys at practice. In the beginning of the season, you were changing every game because of quarantine issues. Our school is very strict on it. We test every week, and then we do contact tracing aggressively. It definitely catches a lot of people.
Q. You face Class 7A Parkview tonight. Tell us about that match.
A. I always make our schedule to play the best people we can play. Their coach and I are pretty good friends, so that relationship lends itself to this. We lost some games from our schedule this year because of COVID – we usually go out of state for some tournaments – so that allowed us to pick up some games, and Parkview was gracious to allow it. So I am looking forward to it. It will be a challenge, but it will be a challenge that we want.
Q. If Augusta were a foot golf course, which of your players would do the best?
A. I have a kid going to Stanford to play football as a punter. Connor Weselman. He is a goalkeeper for us. So I would say he might do very well. He wasn’t a goalkeeper by trade, but he came in, trained and got very good. He is just hitting his stride for us. (Note: Weselman is listed as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and is the No. 4-ranked punter in the nation.)
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