2016 marked another successful campaign for head coach David Gavron, whose team won their second state championship in the past three seasons, defeating Nipmuc 2-0 in the final game. With a dynasty brewing in Wayland, fans’ expectations are high for the 2017 season, and the team has delivered so far, starting off 3-0-2 and making their way up to #2 in the Boston Globe boys’ soccer rankings.

Although the team has garnered much praise from the media, Gavron says that outside noise does not affect his team.

“All that matters for us is what’s going on with our team. What people say on the outside, what the newspapers write, that doesn’t matter,” Gavron said. “What matters is what’s going on with the boys, how we can keep them focused on the task at hand, whether it’s practice or the start of a game. The outside chatter, positive or negative, doesn’t mean anything to us.”

While Gavron makes sure that his players don’t listen to the hype surrounding them, he says that his goal every year is for his team to be able to compete for championships, both at the league and state level.

The Warriors’ strength lies in their offensive firepower, which is spearheaded by attacking midfielder and captain Michael Jones, and fellow captain and striker Joe Lyons. Even though the starting goalkeeper has yet to be determined, the team’s defense looks promising, according to Gavron.

“Our defense is really gelling well, but we have two goalkeepers that have seen limited time at the varsity level, so the competition for that position, as well as the expectation that they’ll be able to perform at the varsity level, is quite high,” Gavron said.

With the strength of the Dual County League, Wayland will rarely face a subpar opponent. Because of this, Gavron says, it is especially important to stay focused on the task at hand and not pay attention to the media’s predictions or rankings.

“Every DCL Small game is going to be a battle for us. Any team can win on any given day,” Gavron said. “The parity that I’ve seen so far this season isn’t going to change. There will be no easy games in the DCL Small. It’s the same with the rest of the DCL. We’re in the best league in the state, so every game is very important.”

Other than their explosive offense, it is the Warriors’ depth that separates them from their competition.

Along with Jones and Lyons, sophomore Kyle Mabe, junior Andrew D’Amico, and senior Matt Karbowski provide Wayland with a multitude of attacking options. Senior captain Marco Melero and junior Mateos Norian have proved to be quite a pairing for the Warriors so far, Gavron saying that their playmaking abilities are “dynamic.” Defensively, junior Gage Fuller and senior Max Valone bring back much-needed experience to a back line that will have to support an inexperienced goalkeeper. Senior captain Zack Dresens, who plays center back, is a key player for the team as well.

The Warriors face off against the eighth-ranked Concord-Carlisle Patriots at home this Thursday at 4 p.m.