Cornerstone and corner kicks: State-bound Austin soccer players have grown up together as preachers’ kids
Published 6:28 pm Monday, October 21, 2019
- Austin soccer players Elisha Simerson, left, and Keaton Goetz, both have a parent who is a pastor at Cornerstone Church in Austin. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Austin seniors Elisha Simerson and Keaton Goetz have been at each other’s side for much of their lives and now they’re ready to go out with a bang with the Packers.
Elisha is the son of Pastor Dave Simerson at Cornerstone Church in Austin and Keaton is the son of Pastor Corey Goetz at Cornerstone. The two have shared the church for their entire lives and they’ve been teammates on the soccer field for the past eight years.
“We hung out at kids and we grew up together,” Keaton said. “We’ve developed chemistry on and off the field.”
This past summer, Keaton, Elisha, and fellow senior teammate Dylan Hannegraaf took a church mission trip to El Salvador, where they were able to interact with locals. They even mixed in a little soccer on the journey.
Austin’s Keaton Goetz plays the ball in front of the Rochester Lourdes net during the Section 1A championship Thursday night in Winona. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Keaton said the trip opened his eyes to how big the world is and what it is like to live in different countries.
“It kind of makes you realize how lucky you are to live in a town like Austin and have parents like ours, who are in the church,” Keaton said. “We realize the opportunities that we have.”
Elisha, who is a captain, and Keaton each had to wait until their season to play big varsity minutes for the Packers, but they both put in a lot of work to get where they are today. Keaton and Elisha played on Austin’s MYSA state championship U18 boys team over the summer.
Now the Packers are set to play in their third straight Minnesota Class A State Boys Soccer Tournament when they will take on St. Cloud Tech. at North High School in St. Paul at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Elisha said he’s pumped to make a run at the state tournament with his long-time teammate Keaton.
“Keaton and I have played together for a long time. We play the same position and we have good chemistry on the field. It’s fun,” Elisha said. “I’m really excited. We’re not looking to get third this year, we’re looking to take it all. We’re pumped.”
Austin head coach Jens Levisen said he can rely on Elisha and Keaton to lead the team when they are called upon.
Austin’s Elisha Simerson runs the ball during the first half against Red Wing Thursday night at Art Hass Stadium. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
“They’re definitely leaders through their work ethic and their attitude, on and off the field,” Levisen said. “They have different forms of leadership and they’re not always the most outspoken, but they bring value and their teammates are going to listen to them.”
The Packers (14-2-2 overall) are coming off a 3-2 win over Rochester Lourdes, where they almost saw a 3-0 lead disappear. Instead of worrying about scouting St. Cloud Tech. (15-2-1 overall), which beat Bemidji 3-2 to get to state, Levisen is hoping his team will stay focused on staying intense.
“Ultimately, we’ve got to show up and play. If we don’t show up and play, whatever scouting we’ve done isn’t going to make a difference. I felt like we played well in the section final, but we had relaxed and we lost a little discipline. With a team like Lourdes, you can’t give them a little bit, because they’re going to take advantage of it,” Levisen said. “One at a time is the way that it’s got to be. I know guys that have been to US Bank Stadium are thinking that it would be nice to get back there, but you’ve got to do your thing first.”
The Tigers. who are ranked No. 2 in QRF, have outscored their opponents by a total score of 56-14 this season and the Packers, who are ranked No. 3 in QRF, have outscored their opponents by a total score of 66-16.
