OOSTBURG — Cade Dirkse was solidified along the back line for the Oostburg Flying Dutchmen boys soccer team heading into this season.
He was an all-state center back and the reigning conference defender of the year as a sophomore.
Dirkse finished his junior season fourth in the state in goals and winning offensive player of the year in the Big East/Eastern Wisconsin Conference.
Oh, he was also a first team all-Big East punter and second team kicker for the Oostburg football team just for kicks during the fall season as well.
“Super cool opportunity,” Dirkse said of playing both soccer and football. “One of the perks of going to a smaller school.”
Flying Dutchmen soccer coach Ryan Ten Pas knows what type of talent he has in the 2024 Lakeshore Elite Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
Lakeshore Elite is an all-area team comprised of schools from Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties.
“Cade is very unique,” Ten Pas said. “He’s extremely athletic and that’s obvious in the success he’s had in basketball and track as well.”
So when Oostburg’s offense was sputtering early in the season, in large part due to some injuries, Dirkse made the switch from center back to center defensive midfield before finally settling in as more of an attacking center mid.
He’d score 36 goals and finish with 85 points, both fourth in the state and was once more named honorable mention all-state by the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association.
“Wasn’t quite what I was expecting but I ended up scoring all those goals as a center mid,” Dirkse said. “Wouldn’t say I put in the most work in the offseason for soccer but I relied on my athletic abilities.”
Dirkse hopes to play basketball at the next level but Ten Pas knows how to utilize an athlete like the junior, especially one who doesn’t mind where he’s placed on the pitch.
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“We had some serious injuries but other people stepped up and allowed us to move him to the offensive side,” Ten Pas said. “It was in no small part to his athletic abilities but also his selflessness.”
As much as Dirkse enjoyed scoring at such a prodigious clip, he’s left searching for the one thing he’s yet to experience, a state trip.
“One of my goals is to get to state,” Dirkse said. “I’ve lost in the sectional finals all three years. I’d rather come back with a gold ball than score a bunch of goals.”
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If everything goes according to plan, Dirkse might get to do both next season.
“You never want injuries but it allowed us to develop some players in the back line which will allow us to leave Cade in the midfield,” Ten Pas said.
Dirkse has one season left to accomplish his dreams, and with the pure talent he possesses, it would be foolish to think it’s not attainable.
LAKESHORE ELITE BOYS SOCCER TEAM 2024
Forward: Matthew Bonin, sr., Roncalli; Elliot Konsek, jr., Sheboygan North;
Midfielder: Cade Dirkse, jr., Oostburg (POY); Victor Aguirre, sr., Sheboygan Falls; Jin Lee, sr., Sheboygan North; Kaleb Faucher, sr., Sheboygan Christian/Lutheran;
Defender: Aaron Konsek, jr., Sheboygan North; Koen Sitzman, sr., Kiel; Samuel Webb, sr., Sheboygan North; Brennan Nickel, jr., Plymouth
Goalkeeper: Emmett Langenfeld, sr., Kiel
HONORABLE MENTION
Cedar Grove-Belgium: Caleb Heinen, sr.; Landon Altheimer, jr.; Juan Castellon, jr.;  Howards Grove: Nolan Madson, sr.; Will Johnson, sr.; Kiel: Brady Ramminger, sr.; Emerson Sitzman, so.; Enzo Grance Culleres, sr.; Trevin Heller, jr.; Kohler: Sam Barillas, sr.; Diego Gardenas, so.; Sheboygan Christian/Lutheran: Jackson Kiel, sr.; Liam O’Keefe, sr.; Conor DeRoos, jr.; Manitowoc Lincoln: Drew Dombrowski, sr.; New Holstein: Fernando Garcia, jr.; Oostburg: Anthony Dekker, sr.; Mason Davies, sr.; Kyler Eernisse, jr.; Caden Helmer, jr.; Plymouth: Cavin Baltus, jr.; Santiago Massoni, sr.; Logan VanDrie, jr.; Will Krebsbach, jr.; Isaac Falk, sr.,; Carter Schmitz, sr.; Random Lake/Ozaukee: Gavin Wood, sr.; Roncalli: Joe Otte, sr.; Sheboygan Falls: Ethan Balde, sr.; Josh Grunwald, sr.; Ruben Rothaemel, jr.; Sheboygan North: Aaron Cortez, jr.; Alejandro Barojas-Diaz, jr.; Davis Knowles, sr.;
Contact Tom Dombeck at 920-686-2965 ortdombeck@htrnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at@Tom_Dombeck.

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