By Ritika Iyer

Cal High’s men’s soccer team had an amazing season.

Finishing undefeated in league, the Grizzlies should be very proud of their success, which they could not have reached without their freshman goalkeeper Derek Wilcox.

A natural star on the field, he has been playing soccer for as long as he can remember.

“I started out just playing in Livermore, where I lived,” Derek said. “My dad started it up and coached me, so ever since then I have loved it.”

Continuing his soccer ambitions, Derek tried out for and made the Diablo SC soccer team in Concord after his previous team, Ballistic in Pleasanton, broke apart.

Having played in Concord for the past three years, Derek believed he could try playing high school soccer, coming in as a freshman.

“I was a little nervous seeing all the seniors (at tryouts). It was sort of intimidating at first,” said Derek. “I just came in wanting to play soccer. I didn’t expect to make varsity at all. I was hoping for varsity, but I was expecting JV.”

The best things in life always happen unexpected though. Derek, to his disbelief, not only made the varsity team at Cal, but became the starting goalkeeper.

“It was pretty huge to me,” he said. “First off, I wasn’t even expecting to make it, and then I realized that I would have to step up every game, because Cal has a history of good goalies. Being the starting freshman goalie on varsity, that put a lot of pressure.”

Fitting into the team of mainly juniors and seniors was a daunting task for the freshman at first, but being mature for his age helped him mesh well with the other players.

“They treat me just like everyone else on the team,” said Derek.

Cal finished the season 18-0-6 overall, an undefeated season. A large part of their success was thanks to Derek.

Derek has proven that he has the potential to become one of the many outstanding goalkeepers that Cal has produced over the years.

He played in all 24 games the Grizzlies had, only allowing 12 goals all season. He also proved himself early on by saving two penalty kicks to help Cal win the championship game of the Winter Classic.

“All through the season, I felt very comfortable with him in goal, and I trusted him,” said senior captain Steve Rector.

For the future, Cal hopes for Derek to only get better with the help of goalie coach Greg Bingham and head coach Chris Faidley.

“(Bingham) has helped me improve a lot this season,” said Derek. “I have a lot of respect for (Faidley), and I think he has a lot of respect for me. He’s a good coach, and I don’t think we could have gone undefeated without him.”

Playing as goalkeeper includes both physical and mental strategies.

Derek has the physical tools to be a force for Cal in the future. He stands 6-foot-4 and eventually will fill in his frame with more muscle.

Mentally, he considers himself the type not to get nervous easily, which he thinks helps him play better.

“I know a lot of kids, so I know their strategies,” said Derek. “I cheat a little sometimes, like I will move a certain way if I know how they play.”

For his future, Derek wants to continue pursuing soccer,  preferably playing for a Division I college. He hopes to eventually play professionally, and has full-streaming support behind him.

“We are proud of the year that they had this season, and of him being a freshman on the team,” said Scott Wilcox, Derek’s father. “Now we are starting to see possibilities of (playing in) college. We are trying to take all the right steps.”

Derek hopes that soccer will work out, but he is already prepared with a backup plan just in case.

“I want to be a pilot when I grow up,” he said. “It is in my blood, my mom is a flight attendant and my grandpa is a pilot, and I also love traveling.”

It seems like, for the next three years, Cal’s soccer team  is set in goal with Derek Wilcox.