The Warrenton boys’ soccer team is going to work hard to be just that – a team – this season under new coach Jake Brown.

That’s because the program graduated last season's leading goal scorer and point-getter, Isaac Wagner, who tallied 45 goals and 106 points as the Warriors finished 14-9.

Sophomore midfielder Caden Baum, who tallied two goals and eight assists for the Warriors as a freshman, said that everyone on the team this year knows that if they’re to be successful, it’s going to be due to a collaborative endeavor.

“We had a lot of seniors leave and I want to step up and be someone the team can count on this year,” Baum said. “This year, things aren’t going to fall on one guy. It’s going to take a team effort for us to succeed. We’ve been working together really well since the start and that’s going to have to continue.”

While Brown may be new to taking the reins from former Coach John Schulte, his seventh year with the program should make for a smooth leadership transition.

The coach credits the kids for making things easy.

“You have to have buy-in and a really good culture and the kids are really competing at practice,” Brown said. “We’re figuring out our roles and our offensive structure right now, but things are going really well.”

Sophomore midfielder David Ross said that, from what he’s seen of the newly implemented structure, he’s excited for the team’s goal-scoring prospects, beginning with the team’s season-opening game on September 1 at home against St. Charles West.

“Coach is a great guy and he runs practices in a way where we all get something out of each practice,” Ross said. “I like the new formation we’re going to run. It makes it easier for us to defend and then go forward. I’m really excited about the season.”

Brown pointed to players such as senior forward Tyler Scruggs (14 goals, 12 assists last season), Baum, sophomore defender Oscar Bynum, junior midfielder Trace Mirth and senior goalkeeper Rylee McGee (14-9, five shutouts, 2.72 goals-against average) as returners who should play key roles.

The coach added that some new faces will help bolster a team that will return only four starters after losing seven seniors.

“There are some really good freshmen who are already working well with the other guys,” Brown said. “We’ve got a guy in Oscar who’s coming back with a lot of skills who can play a lot of positions. There is a lot of talent on this roster.”

Even with so much of last season’s roster returning and the new faces who should help Warrenton, Brown said he’s hoping to see the team steadily improve throughout the season as the players on the roster become more familiar with one another.

“We know we’re going to have some growing pains,” Brown said. “I want the guys to go out and compete every day and trust the process. If they do that, we’ll be fine.” 

For his part, Scruggs said it’s been exciting to see everyone trust the process Brown instilled.

He added that the team’s current roster is more than capable of achieving its top goal.

“I think the first thing we look at is that we want to work hard together to finish with a .500 record,” Scruggs said. “With a bit of luck and that hard work, I think it’s something we can get to this season.”