Danville senior Jake Winkler, shown during a match last week at the Centre College Soccer Camp, had 41 goals and 19 assists last season. (Hal Morris) |
He scored 41 goals last season, earned second team all-state honors and helped Danville reach the state quarterfinals.
But as Jake Winkler took a break during a match last week at the Centre College Soccer Camp’s senior school, the Danville senior said he has no clue how his final season will shake out.
“We have a ton of new players this year, a lot of them I dont even know yet. We’re missing a lot of people right now, so it’s kind of hard to tell,” he said. But I definitely want to do a lot of the same things we did last year. I want to win districts again, of course, make that run (five titles in six years). That would be pretty good. Mostly just have a lot of fun in my senior year.”
Winkler helped Danville to a 22-3 record before it lost to Paul Dunbar in the Elite Eight. The Admirals graduated four seniors, but Winkler knows a lot of younger players will be counted on.
And he expects to draw a lot more attention until other scoring threats can establish themselves.
“People are definitely going to be looking to mark me, but I think it’s not going to matter too much because I think we’re going to be a more patient team this year and I think we’re not going to have to always go right at the goal the entire time,” Winkler said. “I think we’re going to be able to pace ourselves this year, kind of work through it.”
Winkler, who also had 19 assists, was a goal away from tying the school record for goals in a season last year. For his career, he has 72 goals and 32 assists.
And for Danville to have another successful year, he knows he’ll probably have to keep up that pace.
“I think I’m going to have to. I hope not, that’s kind of hard to do. Hopefully I can do it again,” said Winkler, who said he would like to get the school record but won’t dwell on it. “It would be cool. I’m not too worried about records, but it would be nice to have.
“This year, we’re all going to have to work together to have success. It’s not going to be on one or two people’s shoulders. Everybody’s going to have to work together to work for the same goal.”
But the scoring potential is there from the returnees. In addition to Winkler, Drafton Peck scored 12 goals, Christian Gateskill-Fuqua scored nine goals, Shawn Ramos scored seven goals and Blake Hobson had six goals last year.
But he also expects a lot of changes for the Admirals. And how all that works, incorporating the veterans with the newcomers, Winkler is anxious ot see.
“There’s a lot of people that have just started picking up soccer and haven’t played before, so it’s going to be kind of difficult to work through these people,” he said. “But you’ve just got to work it out.
“Part of the reason we’re getting so many more people now, is that we’ve been so successful the past few years and there’s definitely pressure to keep that going.”
And since Winkler does not plan on playing soccer in college, he wants to do his part to keep the Danville legacy going.
“I definitely want to end on a really good note this year,” he said.
But as Jake Winkler took a break during a match last week at the Centre College Soccer Camp’s senior school, the Danville senior said he has no clue how his final season will shake out.
“We have a ton of new players this year, a lot of them I dont even know yet. We’re missing a lot of people right now, so it’s kind of hard to tell,” he said. But I definitely want to do a lot of the same things we did last year. I want to win districts again, of course, make that run (five titles in six years). That would be pretty good. Mostly just have a lot of fun in my senior year.”
Winkler helped Danville to a 22-3 record before it lost to Paul Dunbar in the Elite Eight. The Admirals graduated four seniors, but Winkler knows a lot of younger players will be counted on.
And he expects to draw a lot more attention until other scoring threats can establish themselves.
“People are definitely going to be looking to mark me, but I think it’s not going to matter too much because I think we’re going to be a more patient team this year and I think we’re not going to have to always go right at the goal the entire time,” Winkler said. “I think we’re going to be able to pace ourselves this year, kind of work through it.”
Winkler, who also had 19 assists, was a goal away from tying the school record for goals in a season last year. For his career, he has 72 goals and 32 assists.
And for Danville to have another successful year, he knows he’ll probably have to keep up that pace.
“I think I’m going to have to. I hope not, that’s kind of hard to do. Hopefully I can do it again,” said Winkler, who said he would like to get the school record but won’t dwell on it. “It would be cool. I’m not too worried about records, but it would be nice to have.
“This year, we’re all going to have to work together to have success. It’s not going to be on one or two people’s shoulders. Everybody’s going to have to work together to work for the same goal.”
But the scoring potential is there from the returnees. In addition to Winkler, Drafton Peck scored 12 goals, Christian Gateskill-Fuqua scored nine goals, Shawn Ramos scored seven goals and Blake Hobson had six goals last year.
But he also expects a lot of changes for the Admirals. And how all that works, incorporating the veterans with the newcomers, Winkler is anxious ot see.
“There’s a lot of people that have just started picking up soccer and haven’t played before, so it’s going to be kind of difficult to work through these people,” he said. “But you’ve just got to work it out.
“Part of the reason we’re getting so many more people now, is that we’ve been so successful the past few years and there’s definitely pressure to keep that going.”
And since Winkler does not plan on playing soccer in college, he wants to do his part to keep the Danville legacy going.
“I definitely want to end on a really good note this year,” he said.
