Sports Spotlight: Wessels creative play has helped Jacksonville girls soccer thrive, earn a future with Valparaiso

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) -Jacksonville girls soccer is loaded with seniors this season and the top playmaker in the bunch of ten is Landyn Wessels.

She helped the Cards reach the fourth round of the state playoffs last night. We feature her in our Pepsi Sports Spotlight.

Jacksonville senior Landyn Wessels has had a soccer ball on her foot for most of her life.

“Growing up my friends all played, my dad actually played at Elon College now Elon University,” says Wessels.

It runs in the family.

“Worked on perfecting my craft and my dad has helped a lot with that,” says Landyn, “So like I used to do something called Captain Elite, and they would plan out training sessions, and he would come out and work with me constantly.”

Landyn has grown into a dangerous attacker on the wing.

“She’s very quick, very speedy and very smart about what she does on the field,” says Jacksonville Head Coach Amanda Pelch, “She sees everything so it is very easy for her to be the one to make very good decisions and create.”

Wessels has 12 goals and 10 assists, or a point a game, in 22 games this season.

“I just like sharing the love too,” says Wessels, “I don’t like to be selfish. I like to give other people the chance to feel the joy.”

Landyn has elevated her play so much through high school, and with her ECNL Wilmington Hammerheads Club, she will play division one women’s soccer in college.

“I’m actually attending Valparaiso University. The head coach reached out to me after seeing me play in one of the tournaments and he really like the way I played,” says Landyn, “We kind of hit it off. I went on a visit and I really liked the school, the players, the coaches and really everything about it.”

But first, some boxes to check off in the next few weeks.

“Playing with them for the last four years we have really been able to build a foundation,” says Wessels, “and really become a good team.”

The big goal for Landyn and her Jacksonville teammates after finishing regional runner-up last spring…

“The feeling after the game at Eastern Alamance really has been a pushing factor,” says Pelch.

…is nothing short of a state championship.

“That is definitely the goal, we want to achieve that,” says Wessels, “It has been our goal since my freshman year. So we are really looking to get there and win it all.”

They host their fourth round state playoff game on Thursday night.

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