Jefferson’s Anthony Wenner has an eye for soccer.

The Cougars midfielder captained an offense that scored an Eastern Panhandle Athletic Conference leading 78 goals throughout the 2014 season. using his vision for the open spot on the pitch and foot skills to contribute a team-leading 18 assists and 10 goals, including a pair of match-winning goals, Wenner earned second-team all-state honors from the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

Wenner hopes to continue to contribute to a dynamic offense when he plays for Shepherd this fall. He recently signed his letter of intent to continue his soccer career as a Ram.

“My teammates trusted me to be able to find the right spot for them to score on the runs I trusted them to make,” Wenner said. “I knew I could move the ball into the special places they wanted on their runs, and we were able to get the job done.”

Initially deciding between Shepherd and West Virginia Wesleyan, Wenner not only showed that he had vision on the soccer pitch but also in making a college choice from a financial standpoint.

“Both campuses were beautiful and had head coaches that I liked,” Wenner said. “Shepherd did not cost as much as Wesleyan, so I had to go with what I could afford.”

It wasn’t just the more reasonable tuition price that attracted Wenner, however.

Many players who Wenner played with and against, including Ben Capriolo, Myles Newhouse, Sebeey Chi and Daniel Hussion, will be alongside him as he begins a new chapter in his life.

“I know a lot of these guys and am comfortable with them as we are friends,” Wenner said. “I am very aware of who I am playing with, and that comfortability factor helped.”

Wenner is unsure of where he may play on the field, but he plans to use his vision and touch to make the most of what opportunities come his way.

“I am really hoping to play anywhere on the pitch and will go wherever I am needed,” Wenner said. “The players are going to be bigger and faster, so I won’t get to play with the ball as much.

“I hope to have my vision and my touch on the ball earns me an opportunity to get on the field.”

Wenner plans to be a pre-medical major. He received encouragement from his family to study medicine.

“A lot of my family on my mom’s side are nurses and doctors, so they pushed me to get into the field,” Wenner said. “They knew it would be good for me and that I was going to learn a lot, and that was my motivating factor.”