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De Smet senior midfielder Landon Weber (10) is the Post-Dispatch All-Metro boys soccer player of the year. Weber helped lead the Spartans to a Class 4 runner-up finish.
The soccer season didn’t finish as expected for Landon Weber and his De Smet Jesuit High teammates.
The Spartans fell to Metro Catholic Conference rival St. Louis University High in penalty kicks in the Class 4 title game at Lindenwood University. During the season, De Smet (21-5-1) defeated the Junior Billikens 2-0 and 4-0.
But that didn’t matter in the teams’ final matchup.
“A little frustrating, sure, but SLUH came in with a great game plan and they executed it really well that night,” said Weber, an 18-year-old senior. “We came into that game confident. We expected to win — I think most people did — but things didn’t go our way that night.”
Weber felt like he turned in his best game of the season in the Spartans’ 3-1 win over state power Rockhurst of Kansas City in the semifinals. The Hawklets (21-2) entered as three-time defending champions.
“The way Rockhurst took the field that day, you could tell they were pretty confident,’’ said Weber, who scored De Smet’s third goal in the win over Rockhurst, “But we knew we had to step up our game that day and that’s what we did. It was a pretty cool experience … something I’ll never forget.”
Weber finished his senior season with 19 goals and 7 assists. He earned All-MCC and all-state honors and was named the Class 4 player of the year by the Missouri High School Soccer Coaches Association. In addition, he was named All-America by the United Soccer Coaches.
And he’s the Post-Dispatch All-Metro boys soccer player of the year.
“He’s very deserving,’’ De Smet coach Josh Klein said. “Landon was very good for us last year (when he earned All-MCC and second-team all-state honors), but he came into camp this season in top shape and determined to be a leader. And the rest of our guys fed off his energy and his emotion throughout the season. In every game he played for us, he made a huge impact.”
Weber, a 5-foot-10 center midfielder, had a goal or an assist in all but five De Smet games this season. As a junior, he had 11 goals and 6 assists for the Spartans.
He spent the first two seasons of his high school career in the St. Louis City program. That ended after he suffered a torn meniscus and was released.
“I had my ups and downs, but learned a lot and I enjoyed my time with City. It was fun and it was competitive,’’ he said. “But making the switch to high school soccer was a great experience, too. Getting cut was a great motivation for me. It lit a fire in me and I have no doubt it helped make me a better player.
“At De Smet, I got a chance to play for some great coaches and to play with a bunch of guys who’ve become friends for life.”
One of those teammates was his brother, Gavin, a junior midfielder who finished fourth on the squad this season with 6 goals and 8 assists. He and Gavin are also teammates on their Scott Gallagher U-19 Elite Club National League squad.
Their father, Phil, also played at De Smet and was a member of the Spartans’ state title-winning squad in 1993.
Landon’s dream is to play soccer professionally and plans to study business in college. He’s being recruited by a number of top schools, including Creighton, Louisville, Bellarmine, Dayton and others.
“I’m still early in the recruiting process, but I feel like things are starting to come together,’’ he said. “I’m excited to see what’s ahead for me.”
Read about the St. Louis area’s top high school boys soccer players and their accomplishments throughout the 2024 season.
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De Smet senior midfielder Landon Weber (10) is the Post-Dispatch All-Metro boys soccer player of the year. Weber helped lead the Spartans to a Class 4 runner-up finish.
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