Prep boys soccer: Kidd scores 100th goal in Spartan win

About the only drama in Superior’s 11-1 home win over Mesabi East Tuesday, Oct. 5, was if senior Jake Kidd would score his 100th career goal in the game.

Kidd was sitting on 98 goals in his career and needed to score twice against the Giants to become just the 12th player in Wisconsin history to score 100 goals as a high school player, according to Superior coach Otto Berti.

In the 25th minute, Kidd took a pass from Jeffrey Olson and put it past Mesabi East goalkeeper Ryder Gerulli to record the penultimate goal, but he would make the Spartan faithful wait until the 61st minute for the 100-goal milestone.

“Keyten DeGraef sent a cross and I took a touch and volleyed it into the back of the net,” Kidd said. “It was a really great feeling and a great milestone in my career — it felt really nice just to complete it.”

Berti credited Kidd’s work in the offseason, playing with the Gitchi Gummi Soccer Club, and said he had a “knack” for being in a position to score.

“He puts in the work — in the offseason he’s always working,” Berti said. “His work ethic is there, he works hard at practices, he leads by example, but he definitely just has the knack for being in the right place to score.”

Not only is Kidd in an elite group statewide, he also is the all-time leading goal scorer for Superior and has the single-season record as well.

A Wisconsin-Superior recruit, Kidd credited his teammates for helping him to reach the goal.

“I wouldn’t be able to do any of it without my teammates feeding me, so I’m just really thankful for them,” Kidd said.

Berti said the offseason work of the Spartans over the past few years has helped build a strong program that put Kidd in a position to score 100 goals over his high school career.

“Before 2014, this program was a losing program,” Berti said. “The work ethic that these guys have brought to the program, the camaraderie they’ve built — they’re putting in the work and it shows.”

Kidd plans to keep improving to help the Spartans and soon the Yellowjackets become better teams.

“I’m just working everyday to become a better player, to become better for the team,” he said.

1/2: Superior’s Jake Kidd (4) pushes the ball up the field in front of Mesabi East’s Cole Layman (15) in the first half of the game at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex in Superior on Tuesday evening, Oct. 5, 2021. Kidd scored his 100th career goal during the game. Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram

2/2: Superior’s Jake Kidd (4) takes a ball off the head from a corner kick in the first half of the Spartans’ game with Mesabi East at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex in Superior on Tuesday evening, Oct. 5, 2021. Kidd scored his 100th career goal during the game. Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram