First-year Bayfield High School soccer coach Dave Foster thought he could build Rome in a day.
He wanted to turn around a struggling soccer program and make them competitive in one year.
It didn’t work out that way.
The Wolverines haven’t won yet entering Thursday’s home finale against Center (1-9, 1-7 3A Region 5) at 4 p.m., but what Foster has managed to do is change a soccer culture.
“They tell me they’re getting better,” he said. “They keep me positive, and they let me know they appreciate what I’ve done.”
Though the results haven’t been what Foster wanted, he’s seen his team improve drastically since the beginning of the season.
BHS (0-10, 0-8 3A Region 5) struggled with conditioning early in the season.
Now Bayfield plays at full game speed and have improved their touches.
“From a coach’s perspective, sometimes you judge it from what the record is, but I think there’s a lot to build on,” Foster said.
The team has one more shot to pick up a win in front of its home fans.
It’s a decent chance, too.
Of BHS’s five wins in the last three years, four of them have come against Center.
“The team said ‘we know we can beat Center,’” Foster said. “That confidence is important.”
Seniors Alex Vitagliano and Andy Kujath will be honored before the game, though Foster didnt’ have specific ceremony details.
Vitagliano is the team’s only returning senior, while Kujath managed the girls team in the spring and played basketball before Foster convinced him to try out for the varsity squad.
This year Vitagliano has had to play sweeper and defend more than he’s used to.
“He knew it was important for him to play in a position he’d rather not play,” Foster said. “He’s still the leader of this team. I wish he had more opportunities to go forward and score.”
His final high school home game would be as good a time as any.
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
