WASHINGTON —
Washington Catholic boys soccer was never anything to brag about, that is until Wayne Neace came on board.
Neace, the head boys soccer coach for the Cardinals has resurrected a dormant program to heights most didn’t seem possible four years ago. From 1994-2008 the Cardinals totaled 27 wins, a shockingly low number considering what they have achieved over the last three years.
In three years, Neace has compiled a 43-3-3, including zero regular season losses in the last two seasons. How did this incredible transformation occur? It may have been as simple as changing the style of play.
“We’ve brought a possession game to WC,” Neace said. “We don’t just run and take shot after shot, we try to get the best shot we can. That has been our goal and we’re pretty good at it.”
After coaching the junior high boys team, Neace was very familiar with the players he would be inheriting. Neace used the relationships he had with the boys from coaching some of them in travel soccer to cultivate the culture of winning and the strategy of using skill and team work, not just talent. That culture change has sparked interest from a host of young soccer players, so much that Neace said he looks for JV games, because the varsity has 25 players.
“The number of kids we have is growing,” Neace said. “Used to be I would lose a couple of players every year, they would go up the street to Washington. Now every year I seem to be gaining them.”
Playing in Washington, Neace understands being in the shadow of the elite program the Hatchets have run for nearly 20 years. The Cardinals success, however has created some doubters of the toughness of their schedule.
“We don’t ever play a team smaller than us,” Neace said. “Our school doesn’t have 700 kids, we’re not always going to be able to compete with the best and that’s why we have class soccer. But to say we don’t play anybody, we play Princeton, Washington play Princeton. We play Forest Park, Washington plays Forest Park. We do play quality teams.”
With such a low number of enrollment at Washington Catholic, it can be hard at times to find talent year after year, but with the success that Neace and the Cardinals have enjoyed over the last three years he is confident that their success won’t dwindle next year just because seniors like Colton Reed and Brantly Smith won’t be around anymore.
“Even though the seniors will be gone, we still feel we have a very good program,” Neace said.
Washington Catholic doesn’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.
Wayne Neace is just getting started.
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Neace thinks Cards have something started
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