By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
When junior Anthony Poco entered the Wilmot Union High School boys soccer season, all he wanted to do was set up more scoring chances for his teammates, but he has come away with a career season.
Last year, he compiled 11 goals, but has 13 after the Panthers’ first Southern Lakes Conference win on Sept. 29, when they shut down Burlington 3-0.
While he had a personal goal, Poco states the accomplishment is a small part of the overall team concept.
“The goal for me, I wanted to do better than last year, when I had 11,” said Poco. “It all comes down to the team for the most part, so it is not all about the goals.”
Poco, along with senior midfielder Jon Mendez, spent the summer bolstering the team chemistry after they compiled a 3-14-4 record (1-6 SLC) a year ago.
Along with chemistry, the duo established a new foundation, with hopes of giving their teammates new opportunities.
“We just worked a lot in the offseason getting stronger as a team,” Poco said. “I started to work together with Jon Mendez to create more opportunities for everyone else.”
On Sept. 29, when both had an assist, senior Tim Freeman knocked in two goals to give the Panthers an early 2-0 edge, before Poco kicked in his 13th goal of the season.
Preston Eide had the other assist.
While the team added its third win of the season, Poco states early injuries forced other players to play out of position, and are working to re-establish the flow.
“We have had people with a lot of injuries, so people have had to step up to play out of position,” Poco said.
With the Panthers’ SLC slate coming to a close, the Panthers hope to earn a higher seed in the WIAA Division 2 Tournament, where they were No. 7 last year.
“We just want to get as many wins as we can to put us in a better position for seeding in the playoffs,” Poco said.
Meanwhile, earlier in the week, the Panthers played into a scoreless tie against Westosha Central Sept. 27.