By Jeff Moeller, sports correspondent
When he was younger, Jake Hicks didn't anticipate soccer being on his sports radar.
That was, until football was out of the picture.
“I started playing soccer at 11 or 12 because I wasn’t allowed to play football anymore because of medical reasons,” said Hicks. “I was friends with a kid whose dad was a coach, and it just kind of went from there.”
And it didn’t take long for soccer to be in the forefront.
Today, Hicks is one of the Wildcats’ senior team captains. He has played a major role in the team’s overall 9-3 record and their legion-leading 7-1 slate.
Hicks has held a regular spot on the field, and he has enjoyed the season so far.
“I have almost always been an outside back, sometimes stepping into the midfield but not often,” said Hicks.. “This season has been a very comfortable season because of the team we have, the team makes it very easy to play the way I feel like I should while trusting everyone else to do the same.”
Head coach Stephen Henderson has watched Hicks evolve into a mainstay on the field.
“Jake has transformed from a skilled defender to a dangerous center mid that pressures at the right times to win the ball and deny the center of the field,” said Henderson. “He has become a dynamic ball distributor on offense that controls the tempo and moves the ball to the right space at the right time.
“Jake averages five steals per match with a passing efficiency of 80 percent. That’s well above average in the middle third of the field.”
With a myriad of memories, Hicks does recall a special one in particular.
“If I had to pick a memorable moment from any of my time playing soccer, it’s probably a play I had with an old goalkeeper where we stopped 4 or 5 shots while standing practically in the goal,” said Hicks. “It was a very exciting play that I believe ended up winning us the game.”
With Hicks and a solid core, Henderson believes the team is on an upward spiral.
“The team is trending upward and grinding from team good to team great, getting one percent better each day,” said Henderson. “We are working hard on trust and connectedness to build a winning chemistry through each different opponent.”
Hicks likes his role, and he echoes the thoughts of his coach.
“This season I see myself as someone who people talk to when they need something or have questions even if it’s just small things,” said Hicks. “I think we have a serious chance of going all the way. We just have to fix some things.”