HS Boys Soccer: National recognition grows for Beckley-so does the target

Woodrow Wilson ranked No. 1 by MaxPreps and No. 8 by the United Soccer Coaches High School Rankings for Fall Boys-National

The Woodrow Wilson boys soccer team was well aware that coming into the 2025 high school soccer campaign that it would have a target on its back.

The Flying Eagles entered the season as the defending Class AAA state champions, and even though under the new classifications they would be competing in the newly formed Class AAAA divisions, Woodrow was still the favorite to take the top prize.

While that alone should be plenty to garner every opponent's attention, there is also some national recognition to add gasoline to the fire for future opponents.

Woodrow Wilson (6-0-0) is now the No. 1 ranked team in the nation according to MaxPreps and the No. 8 ranked team in the United Soccer Coaches High School Rankings for Fall Boys-National.

"Any team that comes in after a championship season, you get everybody's best effort the next season," Laraba stated back in August. "It's new for us, but it is a role that we are glad the we have, obviously. I think these guys are well equipped to deal with that new challenge. We are going to try and enjoy it as much as we can."

Although the Flying Eagles lost three quality seniors last year, head coach Steve Laraba's squad returned the bulk of the championship team.

Jonathan Scott, Dylan Basconi and Alex Belcher have stepped into expanded roles providing quality play to fill the gaps brought on by graduations, while the remaining returners have picked up where they left off last year.

"The goal every year is to make it to the state championship and hopefully win one," Laraba said. "Hopefully, this year we can continue to work hard and make sure everybody is giving their best effort and fine tune things. Make sure our quality of play is up to the expectation of making it back to Beckley (for the state tournament)."

The key to success so far has been balance across the pitch for Woodrow Wilson starting with the defensive back line that affords the Flying Eagles chances to be more aggressive in the midfield and the attacking third.

"They are pretty Dag gone good. We played with three backs last year, Jackson Gray, Jackson Schroder and Tyler Radford and Bryson (Doss) returns as our keeper," Laraba said. "They are so good. They know each other. They understand everybody's strength and weaknesses between the four off them. They work very well together and the pace of our back three is very strong. Bryson is as good with his feet and he is with his hands."

Woodrow Wilson is also relentless on the attack and can score from all angles against opposing defenses.

In the five wins this season, seven different players have scored including reigning State Player of the Year Coby Dillon and Hagen Hall with six goals each.

The shifty Ali Farghaly has five netters, while Scott has four winners and Vince Umberger has two goals. Basconi and Schroder have one each.

"This team is very special in the fact that Thursday night (in a match against Shady Spring), Coby hit three and Ali hits two," Laraba said. "Then on Saturday, Hagen gets four. You just can't pick one guy that you are going to try and take out of it. If you do, somebody else is going to punish you."

Naturally staying healthy is a huge key to any championship run, but if the Flying Eagles are to once again hoist the state championship trophy, maintaining their high level of team chemistry will be a huge factor.

"They love seeing each other succeed and that is one of the things that makes this team, just like last year's team, very special," Laraba said. "No one is worried about their own stat line. I think they all know that everybody will have their day where they are on and they are the hot hand. They are a lot of fun to coach."

Next up for Woodrow Wilson will be a match against Princeton Thursday that will see the Flying Eagles also battle longtime rivals Greenbrier East and Oak Hill, all in the span of a week.

Woodrow Wilson has future matches against perennial power George Washington and a semifinal rematch against Wheeling Park late in the season.

All of the games noted will be played at Paul Cline Stadium, also the site of the State Soccer Tournament.