Being a two-sport athlete during the school year takes tremendous hard work and dedication. Being a two-sport athlete during the same season adds another level of challenge. This fall, varsity soccer players Cade Valek from Waubonsie Valley and Metea Valley’s Cam Leys accepted that challenge by defending the pitch and contributing their talented legs to their schools’ football programs. This story is sponsored by Fair Oaks Ford and Fair Oaks Lincoln.
“Some of my best friends play football, and I’ve always been interested in the sport. I’ve been watching it since I was a little kid, and it always seemed fun to me to be able to play football. I’ve never had the chance to, so I talked to the coach and the soccer coach, and we figured it out, and I’m having a great time playing both,” said Metea Valley center back Cam Leys.
“There’s a great group of guys and many friends I have on that team. So a great group of people, I get to play with this year as well. My cousin played. He loved it, he played soccer, and then he played football. So I took after him a little bit,” said Waubonsie Valley center back Cade Valek.
Cam Leys and Cade Valek display their legs
As the starting center backs for their respective soccer teams, Valek and Leys have developed powerful legs after a lifetime of playing on the pitch. But kicking a football accurately through the uprights is not the same skill set.
“It is a change of pace. Soccer is constant, but in football, you have restarts, downs, and different plays. So I think that was the biggest thing for me, not that constant action was just stopping a play,” said Valek.
Valek has already been a multi-sport athlete at Waubonsie, playing a key role as a member of the Warriors regional champion basketball team last winter. The decision these athletes made to pick up an entirely new sport so late in their high school careers was not a simple one.
“The first time it came up was this summer and spring, actually, when I was approached about it. So I thought about it over the summer, started practicing a little bit, and realized I was decent at it. So I started working hard, and now here I am,” said Leys.
Cautiously excited
First-year Waubonsie head football coach Adam Pucylowski and veteran Metea Valley boys soccer coach Josh Robinson were excited about the new opportunity for their athletes, even though skepticism initially existed for these first-year special teamers.
“The first time he came out, I was like, we got something here. So he’s got a live leg, super accurate, and works hard at what he does,” said Waubonsie Valley football coach Adam Pucylowski.
“Before we start doing this, have you kicked a field goal before? Are you good at it? Do you want to do it? I was like, why don’t you practice a little bit? Let me know and I’ll connect with Coach Parpet about it and tell him that you’re interested, so that’s how it all began,” said Metea Valley soccer coach Josh Robinson.
Pucylowski is no stranger when it comes to the kicking game. He was the starting punter at North Central College before beginning his coaching career, so he quickly realized Cade’s strong leg could provide the Warrior football team with a valuable weapon.
“The biggest similarity is the need for leg strength to be a great soccer player, you have to be able to kick the ball pretty hard. Then you flip that on the football field and the ability to kick a football, especially extra points, field goals, kickoffs, especially the guys who have live legs in soccer generally are great at kickoffs,” said Pucylowski.
Cade Valek splits time with both the soccer and football teams, while Leys spends two days with the Mustang football team during the week. They both make their schedules work to participate in every game, even though conflicts do exist as Cam Leys recently discovered firsthand.
Scheduling at the right time
On September 20th, the Mustang boys soccer team played at conference rival Neuqua Valley with a 4:30 pm start time, while the football team took a road trip down to Andrew High School in Tinley Park for a 7:30 pm kickoff. The soccer game went to overtime, and once the match concluded in a 1-1 tie, he immediately sprinted off the field to head to the Metea football game. He was able to arrive in time, kicking an extra point following a second-half touchdown while wearing his second Mustang uniform of the day.
“I asked on Monday who kicked off the game, and they said he made it. Somehow he made it to Andrew on time to kick off and luckily, his parents were the ones driving him. Cam is leaving a legacy behind, being the first male athlete to play two sports in the DVC. I think that’s massive and hopefully, kids will want to take that on more and we want to encourage that,”said Robinson.
Being in a situation like that shows his true commitment to Black and Gold athletics. As the two athletes reached the halfway point of their respective seasons, it feels like yesterday when they were anxiously taking the field wearing a helmet and shoulder pads for their first Friday night lights.
“During the national anthem, the nerves hit me. We were kicking off first against Oswego East, and right as I lined up, that’s when I was relaxed, and like the adrenaline hit, and I was excited to go,” said Valek.
“In the first game that I played in, I only had to kick one field goal, and I made it, but it’s just a different field being out there. I love soccer, and I love football now, too, but they’re two, two different fields, and I love them both for that, but for football, there’s nothing really like Friday Night Lights,” said Leys.
Both are only playing football for one season, but this moment in time will be one they will always cherish. As the calendar flips to October, they will continue to use their legs as they aim to help their respective football and soccer teams in any way they can during their final high school athletic campaigns.
“I think the relentless effort. I mean, it’s always said that in our football program, it takes a special effort. It takes a lot of effort. Anything you do takes a special effort, and football showed me that for every single drive, every single play, you have to make that special effort,” said Valek.
“I’m pretty confident with my skills and abilities to make field goals and kickoff. I can get better and increase my range, but with all my practice, I’ve been getting pretty good at it, and I feel good where I’m at,” said Leys.
Cade Valek and Leys with a season doubleheader
The two seniors have gone head-to-head on the soccer pitch for several years. Valek’s Warriors slipped past Leys and the Mustangs 1-0 in mid-September, but Metea Valley will have a chance to even the score when the rivals square off on the gridiron for the first time in the regular season finale on October 25th.
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