By Greg Keim
A defensive mainstay over the last three Goshen High School boys soccer seasons is staying close to home.
GHS senior Jake Driver has signed a national letter of intent to continue his playing career at Goshen College.
“I’m glad I don’t have to worry anymore about where I’m going to college,” Driver said. “A lot of my friends are still worrying about it.”
Driver was a stalwart last fall as the Goshen Redskins were regional runners-up, dropping a 2-1 decision to Northridge in the championship. Driver scored Goshen’s goal as the team finished with a 14-3-3 record.
In 2008, Goshen won a sectional title and defeated Lakewood Park 2-0 in regional semifinals before the season ended with a 2-0 loss to Westview in the finale. Goshen posted a 13-4-1 record.
He was also a crucial player in the 2007 season when Goshen won its first-ever sectional title. The Redskins went on to capture regional and semistate crowns, advancing to the Final Four before a 2-0 loss to Evansville Memorial in the semifinals ended the season for a 17-3-3 squad.
“Jake’s future looks good,” Goshen College coach Thavisak Mounsithiraj said. “He has improved every year he has played. He should be able to come in and play for us right away.
“He is a big kid who can pass the ball from the back. His height allows him to jump up and head the ball.
“Jake is a good local kid to get. We like to have all the good local kids come to Goshen and we are thinking when they see Jake coming here, they will want to come also. We expect him to be a trendsetter.”
Driver looked at some other schools before deciding on GC.
“In the back of my mind I always knew Goshen College was a possibility,” he said. “The school has a good mixture of athletics and academics I was looking for.
“Tavi (Mounsithiraj) is a great guy and a great coach,” Driver said. “In preparation for the all-district games I worked out with the college team and liked the guys.”
Local players on the GC roster are David Graber, Jason Lauver, Joel Maust and Josh Stiffney from GHS; Martin Brubaker, Lewis Caskey, Rick Egisti and Jordan Weaver from Bethany Christian.
Driver is already familiar with the type of system Tavi Mounsithiraj runs at GC since he played for his brother Viritham Mounsithiraj at GHS.
“A lot of the things we did while will I was working out with the college team were things we did in high school,” Driver said.
The younger Driver has a legacy to live up to at Goshen College as his father Fred Driver was a standout player for the Maple Leafs. Fred was an All-Mid-Central Conference and All-NAIA District 21 player in 1973 and 1974.
“The bottom line for me is we got a player with a family tradition at Goshen College,” Mounsithiraj said. “Fred (Driver) led the Maple Leafs to nationals in 1975.”
Goshen College does not give full athletic scholarships but according to Mounsithiraj, through academic aid and grants, Driver will have about 95 per cent of his tuition covered.
Jake Driver has a 3.37 grade point average at GHS. He plans to study education at GC.
“My plans are to teach and coach some day,” he said.
Jake is a son of Fred and Joyce Driver of Goshen. He has an older brother Dan who is a student at GC.
