Winter Park seniors make final run together

It will be a fitting sendoff for Winter Park’s senior class this weekend at the Class 5A boys soccer state final four.

The Wildcats start seniors at all 11 positions, and familiarity has fueled the deepest postseason run of their careers.

“Most of us have grown up with each other even before high school, so to be able to take this season as far as we can together as our last year before everyone splits up is real special to our team,” senior Cutler Coleman said.

Winter Park (15-3-2) faces defending champion Weston Cypress Bay (21-0-2) today at 6:30 p.m. at Melbourne High School in a 5A semifinal. The Lightning, winners of four of the past five 5A titles, present the toughest challenge on the season for the Wildcats.

“We’re going to be underdogs and we know that to hang in with them we’re going to have to be at our very best,” Winter Park coach Tom Traxler said.

He is in his ninth year at Winter Park and, along with his 12 seniors and assistant coaches, is entering new territory at the state tournament.

“Out of all of our nine teams that I’ve had a chance to coach here, this one has a chemistry and a uniqueness that you could feel they were capable of doing something special together,” Traxler said.

Winter Park, which hadn’t won a region game since 2009, last played in a state semifinal in 2006. The Wildcats finished as runners-up in 1991 and 1978 and won it all in 1979. They’ve qualified for the state tournament for the seventh time.

“This has been in the works for our coaches and for us for a long time,” Coleman said. “We’re just happy to be in the spot we are and we’re going to try to take it as far as we can.”