The Foothill boys’ soccer team barely squeezed into the playoff race, but the destiny was their’s and they made their time count. Managing to snag a wild card spot, the Dragons came out on top in the playoff game, as well as upsetting a higher ranked team in the next two rounds.

Their season came to an end in the quarterfinals, but the boys made a push that not many saw coming. Behind this was goalkeeper Kevin Waechter ‘17 who made crucial stops in the goal and was a stellar player all season long.  

Waechter piled up 74 saves this season to lead the Dragons in their playoff run, and was a leader for the entire team to follow.

He started soccer playing in the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) as a young kid, and it “built my love for the sport, just bringing me closer to others who loved it as well.”

Waechter loves the culture of soccer because “you can never go into a game thinking it’s going to be a certain way, because when playing the game, everything changes.”

He also said that the sport is played in a way that “when anything happens during the game, it stays in that game and doesn’t impact following games.”

This mentality showed, as even though the Dragons finished their league with a somewhat average record of 5-5-2, they turned it on when it came to playoffs.

He feels that soccer at Foothill provides a “connected” environment because everyone was closer in their relationships with one another.

Teammate Mark Spencer ‘19 spoke of this, saying that Waechter is a “great support” that “we can all look up to, even the other seniors on the team.”

“He really encourages us,” Spencer said. “He’s a strong player and we can always depend on him.”

Coach Andreas Wedderien said that Waechter is “ready to play any position you’d need him to,” and because of this versatility, “only he knows what he can and will achieve.”

“He’s always there to support and lead,” Wedderien said. “Constant positive vocal encouragement for his teammates.”

Waechter said that goalkeeper is different because “you are the eyes of everyone, and you have to pay attention and oversee everybody around you.” He said that it is the controlling position of making sure everyone knows where they should be and what they should be doing.

Spencer spoke highly of Waechter’s leadership, but also about his fun personality. “He’s goofy at times, but serious when he needs to be. He’s a great guy,” Spencer said.

After winning three playoff games as the wildcard team, Waechter said that “it definitely came as a surprise to all of us, especially with that first win. Like ‘whoa, what are we actually getting into?’ I think that’s what led us to getting so far, was our perseverance after that first game.”

Waechter doesn’t think he will play at the collegiate level, but “definitely just kind of playing around here in Ventura for a while. ”

“Just kinda making my way playing soccer doing what I love,” he said.