Senior Cameron Stout hopes that his final season on the pitch for the Hornets will be the best ever as Hilldale seeks to win a state soccer title after coming close the last three years.
“Cameron has been with us four years and was the team MVP last year,” said coach Connor Schwab. “He’s going to play college soccer (at Friends University in Wichita) next year, so I told him we’re going to treat him like a college player this year to help him get ready.”
Stout is the Hornet goalkeeper and recorded five shoutouts last year, but he hasn’t always been in-goal for his team.
“I started playing when I was little and just loved hit and I was primarily a field player. But in the fourth grade in a scrimmage our goalkeeper was out so I volunteered to fill in and I thought it was pretty great, so I kept doing it. I think the key to being a successful goalkeeper is positioning and knowing where you are on the field so you can reach almost any shot.”
As he played keeper more and more, he began watching soccer on TV and found a role model.
“I like watching Manuel Neuer from Bayern Munich. He’s a big-time goalie and I like the way he plays, and I’ve patterned a lot of what I do after him. I look to my mom for my motivation. I really want to make her proud and I do everything for her,” said Stout.
Cameron was quick to stress his goals for his final season.
“Nothing less than winning a state championship. We’ve been close four years in a row (three trips to the state semis and one to the state finals) and our players have gotten better every year, so I think we’re ready to go all the way this year. Individually I’d like to get at least 10 shoutouts.”
