The DeKalb County Tigers boys soccer program enters a new season turning the page with a young roster and plenty of opportunity.
Head coach Dylan Kleparek said despite the inexperience, the group has already shown the drive and potential needed to compete.
“They’ve got a lot of young talent and the talent shows a lot of promise,” Kleparek said. “They’re driven, they’re working hard, got a ways to go, but they’re working in the right direction.”
Kleparek enters the season with a significantly reshaped lineup after 13 players graduated from last year’s squad. Even with the turnover, the team returns a key piece in goal along with several experienced defenders.
Kleparek said that veteran presence on the back line gives the Tigers the freedom to experiment offensively.
“We can trust the guys behind them to back them up well and these experienced defenders can make passes out of the back, setting up offensive attack,” Kleparek said. “We still got to be able to put the ball in the back of the net, so that’s going to take some work to get that final touch in the final third, but I expect it to work out well.”
For Kleparek, building and adapting lineups is nothing new. The longtime coach founded DeKalb County’s soccer program and has spent more than two decades guiding Tigers players while also serving as a science teacher at DeKalb County High School.
That experience has shaped how he approaches seasons like this one, when roster turnover requires creativity and flexibility. Kleparek said the Tigers’ versatility could become one of their biggest strengths as the season unfolds.
“We have a way to change and meet the opponent in whatever aspect we need to,” Kleparek said. “I wouldn’t say there’s going to be a formation change in as much as maintaining that same flexibility and be able to modify the team as we need to.”
With a young core eager to prove itself and veteran leadership anchoring the defense, Kleparek said the Tigers are headed in the right direction as they grow into the season.
