HAYDEN PICKERING
HILLDALE HIGH SCHOOL
It’s the last roundup on the Hilldale soccer pitch for senior striker Hayden Pickering with several goals he would like to achieve. A four-year starter, Hayden got an early start playing soccer.
“My uncle played at Southern Nazarene, so he’s been my guiding force over the years,” said Pickering, who is a member of the Native American Student Association in school. “I started playing at age three and have always been invested in the game because of him. I started playing club ball at around age 10 and have played with several different teams over the years.”
This year also marks a milestone of sorts for Hayden’s coach Conner Schwab.
“Hayden and Brody Haraway were the first two players for me to make the varsity squad as freshmen,” said Schwab. “Hayden is the guy we can count on to have a breakthrough for us in games. He can be a bit of goof ball at times but now as a senior he has the maturity to know when it’s time to get the guys focused. As a team leader he sometimes wears his emotions on his sleeve so he’s not afraid to speak up when he sees something that needs to be done.”
One of Hayden’s goals this year is to break the 100-goal career mark as he enters the season with 80.
“It would be so neat to be the first in school history and maybe the area to hit 100 goals. But it would mean a lot more if we can get to state again and end the season with a ring on our finger.”
The Hornets went to state two years ago and Pickering recalled a highlight from that season.
“The highlight game from that season that I remember was the semifinal game against Bethany. Everyone was there and it was awesome to be a part of that.”
Among other goals that Hayden has for the year are being named the Tulsa World MVP, a state championship and another shot at being the Gatorade Player of the Year. He is still considering where he wants to play soccer at the next level but wants to study business wherever it might be.
