The Highland Huskies are geared up to start a new season of soccer. Highland’s five wins last year were the most for the program since 2015, and most of the roster is back.

Among the returners is Jared Diaz, who scored a team-high 13 goals in 2024. Fellow senior Logan McFarland also returns after recording nine goals, while emerging talents like sophomore Jose Ramirez are also back after posting four goals and three assists.

While the Huskies will need to replace previous starters on the defensive back line, starting goalkeeper Ayden Havel comes back after making almost 140 saves as a junior and stopping over 76 percent of the shots he faced.

Head coach Dylan Stewart tells KCII Sports that there are a lot of ingredients on the table to take Highland to even greater heights, and that starts with the right level of preparation.

“We’ve put in a lot of work in the off-season [and] a lot of good work in the weight room,” Stewart says. “We’re a little bigger, faster and stronger than we were in the previous years. A lot of it, I think it does come down to, is these kids are really just committed in the off-season.”

The Huskies will kick off a new soccer season Tuesday at Mid-Prairie.