These seniors had a great run during their years playing soccer at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. They enjoyed tremendous success, finishing fourth their freshman year, followed by losses in the state championship game the last two years. 2019’s loss was especially painful as they were within seconds of winning a championship before a tying goal sent the game into overtime. As coaches we were especially proud that they received the state’s sportsmanship award two of their three years. This speaks to the kind of young men they are and their positive treatment of each other, opponents and officials. It is tragic that these players did not get to play their senior season, and as coaches we will forever regret not spending this spring with these motivated, high achieving, respectful, and fun players. The individual comments below come primarily from their younger teammates.

— Coaches Gary Lehnhart and Alex Newton

Nolan Campbell: Nolan is an inspiration to the team both during kaizen, practice and games. He is always raising the effort bar which motivates all of us. Last season Nolan’s talents soared and we were excited to see him perform in his senior year. Sadly we can’t. Nolan is a purveyor of fun. We will miss his infectious smile and wish Nolan luck as he climbs, peddles, skis, and skates off into the sunset.

Riley Deitz: Riley is never one to let anything get him down and serves as an inspiration to us all. His determination to overcome inspired his teammates and opponents alike. He always came to practice with a smile on his face and was friend to all. A fierce competitor, he was always ready to run onto a long ball. After high school, Riley will be attending UAA to pursue a degree in occupational therapy to work with people with disabilities.

Carl Doutt: Carl Doutt, the man with the mullet, was a great competitor. He was a helpful, generous, and giving teammate who was always looking to improve. We enjoyed our seasons together and will miss his commitment. His no-nonsense, lets get r’ done approach was contagious and inspirational. We wish you the best of luck in your future and we will miss you next season.

Koby Goldstein: Koby is a great friend and teammate to all, and could be relied upon to help us through whatever issues we faced, on or off the field. A super talented All-state performer in 2019, Koby would have certainly had a big role in leading us to a potential third straight appearance in the state championship game. We share an inside joke saying; “Always aim for the bucket. Always put your troubles there, move past them and never look back.” Koby, it’s been great playing with you and good luck playing soccer at Bowdoin college. Remember, aim for the bucket.

Aidan Hopson: This would’ve been Aidan’s fourth year of varsity soccer at JD. He has consistently been an excellent mentor, teammate, and leader. Not only would he check in with teammates to make sure everything was great, he would also check to see if he could help in any way. This year he would’ve been the center midfielder and the anchor of our team. His positive attitude, and game day hype inspired the team, and his talent helped make us successful. Next year he will continue to be a great leader on the soccer field, as he pursues a major in Biochem at Pacific Lutheran University.

Carl Noel: It’s a rare gift to have such a positive effect on everyone around you, but Carl is that guy. He has an infectious smile with a silky touch to go along with it. Despite not being the fastest afoot, Carl was a terror in front of the goal which we all benefitted from. We are going to miss you next season and your Creole cheers.

Roman Paguio: This would’ve been Roman’s third year of soccer at JDHS. After taking a break from soccer his freshman year he returned as fast as ever using his lightening quick feet and infamous “tricky” touches to get around defenders. He was a strong pressing machine in the midfield that would make a tackle and sprint with the ball for thirty yards. Always a team player, Roman was appreciated by his teammates. Roman will be attending UAS after high school and we wish him the best of luck.

Kaelin Quigley: Whether it was on or off the field, Kaelin always had something funny to say. Through our years playing with him he improved both as a defender and a “comedian”. We were looking forward to playing with him this year as we know he would have made a difference in helping the team succeed. The one thing that needs to emphasized about Kaelin was his humility and willingness to work with all. Such a great determined teammate, we will miss him in 2021.

Joel Smith: Through all his years on the team, Joel has been a constant positive force for the back line. His aggressive and determined nature both at practice and in games, combined with the signature “Joel header,” is what made him such a great defensive teammate. Even though we were unable to have a season this year, Joel will still leave a lasting legacy to us because he was “as a coach” on the field and an academic role model off it. We know that whatever Joel ends up doing in College (Dartmouth or Colombia) he will succeed because of his determined nature.

Tad Watson: This would’ve been Tad’s fourth year of soccer at JDHS. After filling in for goalkeeper his freshmen year he dedicated himself to the craft and became the varsity keeper his Sophomore year. A strong, commanding keeper in the box and a wall in 1v1’s, Tad’s reflexes and long punts will be missed next season. He put a tremendous amount of hard work into practice and he mentality inspired his peers to work harder on and off the pitch. He was an integral part of the varsity team, helping the team reach two finals. After high school, Tad will be attending Otterbein University to pursue a degree in allied health with a focus on athletic training.

Kaiden Wilshusen : After moving from Anchorage his freshman year, Kaiden immediately integrated into the team as a Sophomore, contributing greatly as a wing on a team that would end up twice placing 2nd in state. This year he would’ve been a foundational piece of the team and certainly would have helped lead us to success. Kaiden was a focused and committed player who lived to play soccer. His love of soccer was contagious. Kaiden will be attending Edmonds College to get his prerequisites for a nursing degree and play soccer for the Tritons.

• This piece was submitted by JDHS boys soccer coach Gary Lehnhart.