Friends.

Teammates.

Rivals?

Freshmen soccer players Darby Kehoe and Mitch Welsch have had expectations of them when dealing with each other and their sport.

But though many of the expectations and labels have changed throughout their careers, they have maintained a few things: they have continued to be passionate about soccer and they have remained friends throughout the years.

Teammates who united two families

Midfielder Kehoe and defender Welsch’s intertwined past goes all the way back to the second grade.

The two met while they played on the same soccer team coached by Kehoe’s father. The two played for St. Charles Soccer Club and Striker’s Fox Valley.

“We played there up until sophomore year of high school,” Kehoe said.

Kehoe said that some of the best memories they had playing on those teams were going to tournaments and hanging out with each other and the team.

Kehoe and Welsch said because they played on the same team for so many years, that their two families had become friends.

They both explained that throughout the years, the two families had went to the other’s family functions and parties.

A rift drawn – on the field

The two stopped playing on the same team in their sophomore year of high school.

But they both continued to play soccer in their high schools.

Welsch attended St. Charles North and said he began playing varsity as a sophomore.

Kehoe enrolled at St. Charles East and said he started his career as a freshman.

Eric Wilson, head coach of St. Charles North, said that the rivalry between the two schools began in 2002, when North acquired a varsity soccer team.

“St. Charles North opened up in 2000,” Wilson said. “There are so many of the kids that grew up together and then ended up going to different high schools because the schools are within 5 miles of each other.”

The close proximity led the teams to playing twice a year and a whole new experience for the former teammates – they were then rivals on opposing teams.

“We played seven times,” Welsch said. “That includes a playoff game as well.”

The two chuckled as they admitted that they left the mannerisms off the field.

“We weren’t that friendly on the field,” Kehoe said. “But afterwards we were.”

Welsch agreed that being on rival teams did affect the way they felt, if but briefly.

“We didn’t like each other for 90 mintues,” Welsch said.

The rivalry came to a head when their two teams met in the playoffs when they were seniors.

The situation became even more complicated when Wilson explained the weather conditions of the match.

“The weather had been bad all day and all night before the match,” he said. “That really increased the intensity of the game.”

St. Charles North emerged victorious over East (1-0) as the game went to 6 penalty kicks, the winning kick made by Welsch.

Though Welsch emerged the hero of the game, the two maintained their respect for each other after the game.

“It’s one of those things where they have incredible respect for each other, but when they’re on the field, they’re all business,” Wilson said. “Those two would have done anything to help their team win, but it was obvious after the game that the two were good friends.”

Kehoe and Welsch laughed when talking about the situation as Welsch jokingly taunted Kehoe about the fact that it was he who had kicked the winning goal.

The decision to come to Eastern

Welsch and Kehoe had different reasons for applying to come to Eastern.

Kehoe said he chose Eastern because his older brother had played for the team and he liked the situation he was looking at with coming to play soccer here.

Kehoe said he liked that Coach Adam Howarth was like a father figure, and he felt that the team was an up-and-coming program.

Welsch was impressed with the campus and how easily he was able to get along with the other soccer players already here.

But when it came time to making the decision, it came at completely different times and they said they did not try to persuade each other to come to the same school.

Kehoe said he chose to come to EIU in late-September, but Welsch had waited a bit longer.

“We didn’t really talk about it that much,” Welsch said. “We came to the decisions on our own.”

Wilson said he was happy to see the two players go to Eastern.

“I think it’s great to see Mitch, and Darby as well, go to Eastern because I’m an alma mater there,” Wilson said. Wilson said he had played for the Panthers for four seasons.

The unity and mutual goals of the team

Howarth said when he recruited them, he knew they were good friends and had also been rivals.

But Howarth said he was not concerned with any animosity between the players.

“They are two different players,” he said. “I evaluate them differently, but I think it’s good that they have been teammates before.”

Howarth said he wasn’t so much concerned with the past as he was with the future.

“Right now they are both competing for a spot on the traveling team and playing time,” he said.

Kehoe and Welsch took a similar approach to Howarth’s.

“Our first goal is to win the MVC (Missouri Valley Conference),” Kehoe said.

Though the two have undergone many different changes, Kehoe and Welsch say they think they will remain friends long after college.

“I think we will be friends not only with each other after college, but also with the rest of the players on the team,” Welsch said.

Kehoe agreed.

“With our families being friends and all, I think we’ll always be friends,” Kehoe said.

Despite being rivals in high school Darby Kehoe and Mitch Welch are playing side-by-side here at Eastern to help the Panthers succeed and go even further this year in the MVC

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