Western Wayne boys soccer team defeats archrival Honesdale
Thanks in large part to the strong one-two punch of Timmy Roberts and Mikey Durso, Western Wayne defeated the Hornets 7-2 in boys soccer.
VARDEN – Western Wayne had a solid season in Lackawanna League boys soccer last fall.
Led by longtime coach Matt Fitzsimmons, the Wildcats posted a record of 6-6-0, finished third in Division II and earned an invitation to the District 2 tournament.
This year, however, the Cats want to secure a place among the region’s truly elite programs.
“We have pretty much everyone back, so I think we can definitely compete for the division title,” Fitzsimmons said just minutes before the start of a season-opening showdown away from arch-rival Honesdale.
“If we continue to work hard and stay healthy, I think we can compete with almost anyone. We have a pretty explosive offense.”
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Prophetic words
This explosive offense was clearly visible right from kickoff on Tuesday.
Veteran co-captains Timmy Roberts and Mikey Durso led the team, bombarding Honesdale’s goal with a devastating barrage of shots.
As the first half ended, the Wildcats had built an unassailable 6-1 lead and eventually won 7-2.
“I’m really pleased with the performance from the boys today,” said Fitzsimmons. “This early in the season you never know what you’ve got, so it was great to see us score a few goals quickly and get a nice lead.”
Western Wayne is 2-0-0 on this young season. The ‘Cats opened with an 8-1 win over Blue Ridge and have now outscored their opponents 15-3.
Next up is a home game against Mid Valley. Weather permitting, the match will begin at 6 p.m. on the pitch at Sharkey Rosetti Memorial Stadium.
“I was a little nervous after our two practice games,” Fitzsimmons said. “But things are going better now. We’re starting to play like the team we’re capable of.”
Three-headed monster
Western Wayne wasted no time and immediately took control of the game in Honesdale.
The Wildcats struck early and often, scoring six goals almost before the Hornet fans were even in their seats.
Durso struck first, scoring after an assist from Joey Tickner in 2:54 minutes of injury time.
Durso is a standout player in many sports who also excels on the baseball field. He scored 13 goals and had 12 assists in his junior season.
He opened his first-team season with a goal and an assist in the win over Blue Ridge, which was just a taste of what was to come for Honesdale on Tuesday.
Durso scored a hat trick before halftime and finished the day with four goals.
“I’m very happy with how the game went,” he said afterwards. “I think we played really well as a team. We passed well, applied constant pressure on offense and kept them in check on defense.”
Roberts was also a thorn in Honesdale’s side that day.
Roberts was a two-year captain and scored 11 goals and six assists last fall. In addition, he is an outstanding student and a member of the National Honor Society.
He scored two goals and had an assist in the win over Blue Ridge, and he kept the momentum going against Honesdale.
Roberts scored his first goal at 5:06 p.m. on Tuesday, off an assist from Braden Laity. He joined Durso in the Hattrick Club by halftime and finished the game with three goals and two assists.
“We really wanted to win and we did it,” Roberts said. “Our communication and intensity really helped us win the ball. As a team, we passed well and created scoring opportunities.”
Jacob Wells also made his presence felt, providing an assist for Durso’s third goal of the game. Wells is a talented junior who led the Wildcats with 24 goals last season.
“We really have a three-headed monster out there,” Fitzsimmons said. “Timmy, Mikey and Jacob are all capable of taking over a game on any given night. Any one of them can carry our offense.”
Ambitious goals
Western Wayne players and coaches have set ambitious goals for the 2024 football season.
The Wildcats compete in Division II against teams such as Dunmore, Mountain View, Lakeland, West Scranton, Mid Valley and Gregory the Great, and there are very few easy games on the schedule this fall.
“We definitely can’t take anything for granted,” Fitzsimmons said. “There are some very good teams in our league. We have to stay focused and take it one day at a time.”
Durso, for his part, believes the Wildcats have a built-in advantage thanks to their many years of playing together as a unit.
“I’m really excited to see what we can accomplish as a team this year,” he said. “A lot of us have been playing together for so long that we have really good chemistry. I’m hoping we can potentially win a district title.”
Roberts agrees.
“I am very happy with the clear victory over Honesdale,” he said. “But the work is not finished yet. We have a lot more to do this season.”
