The Healdsburg High varsity boys soccer team is off and running in 2026. As of this writing, it’s 4-6-4 on the year and coming off a tough stretch where it got shut out by Piner and Analy and fought for a tie against Elsie Allen.
I interviewed sophomore Ian Welty, a goalie on the team, who shared his opinion on how the season has been going. Welty said, “[I]t could be better. We had a pretty up and down season this year, starting off with a big win over Cloverdale … but we’ve run into some juggernauts like Windsor and Ukiah. It’s been a good year, but it hasn’t been the best year.”
What has been a factor in the up and down season?
“I think a lot of injuries, and that’s held out some of our really talented players. This has caused us to not have the best available players at some positions,” Welty said. He nevertheless conveyed that they have the talent to swing with anyone. “I truly believe that if we played our best, we could be undefeated right now.”
When asked about a favorite moment from the year, Welty thought their match with Cardinal Newman in December exemplified the potential that the Healdsburg team has. “We won 3-2 against a really, really strong competitive team, with one of the best goalkeepers in the whole state,” he said. “It was just a really exhilarating win. We came back from behind, and it was a great game to win.”
Welty’s interest in soccer is spurred, in part, by how significant it is throughout the world. He is greatly looking forward to the World Cup this summer where many games will be played in the U.S., including at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. “Soccer is very globally popular. I think as an individual, I would just play with my friends, and I took a really big liking to it. I just started to play and I didn’t stop,” Welty said.
When asked to highlight a particular player who’s played well this year, he lauded a senior, their center back, Xavier Garcia. He is “probably one of the most valuable parts of our defensive team right now,” Welty said. “Despite some injuries he’s gone through, he’s always come back and is really clutch in big moments … . He’s someone who’s really important for our team.”
Welty also shared how the overall morale has been for the team this year. “I think everyone is pretty happy but … we’re a little bit frustrated about how things have been going. We really want to pick up the pace, get back to work and start winning some more games,” he said.
Garcia, the center back who Welty praised, expressed his thoughts on the team’s experience, saying: “The coaching staff has been amazing this year. They take the time to practice what’s good for us.”
When asked what they could improve upon to progress as a unit, Garcia suggested coming out ready to play and being motivated right out of the gate. “We have to have commitment when we start our game to give it our all,” he said.
As for his knack for being clutch and what mindset he needs to consistently show up for his team, Garcia added, “It’s very hard to be clutch in those moments because you know your team depends on it, and it’s either going to result in a win or loss. In those situations, I use my confidence to get the job done for my team.”
Garcia also indicated that closing teams out was at times difficult for the team. “I think the challenge for our team this year has been finishing, at the end of the game. Just getting the results that we need as a team,” he said.
With rematches against Piner and Elsie Allen coming up, Garcia is forward-looking and optimistic about the rest of the season. “We might be the underdogs,” he said, “but I think we could turn this season around and do something with this season.”
