Prep Q&A: Oshkosh West's Isaiah Merrill

Jake Van Camp
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The Oshkosh West boys soccer team is off to a hot start, posting two wins, a draw and a shootout loss in its first four games of the season.

Senior Isaiah Merrill has been a key contributor to the Wildcats' early success.

The senior forward has four goals on the season, including the game-tying goal in a 1-1 draw against Sheboygan North in the season-opener.

Merrill is also the kicker for the Wildcat football team. He converted on three extra points during West's season-opening 35-7 victory over Appleton West.

The Oshkosh Northwestern caught up with Merrill Monday afternoon to discuss his fast start in soccer as well as his role with the football team.

The Northwestern: You guys are off to a 2-0-2 start, what's been the key to getting off to such a fast beginning?

Isaiah Merrill: A lot of us have grown up together in soccer so it hasn't been a huge deal trying to figure everyone out. We're just working together, and I think that's the main thing that's helped us get off to such a good start.

TN: How have you been able to gel so quickly after losing three All-Conference performers from a year ago?

IM:A lot of our team is returning, so we were able to pick up things from last year from the people leaving that we were able to carry over to this year, and now we can pass that on to the younger guys. So hopefully that just keeps going down the line.

TN: You've scored four times already this year, what's been the reason for your fast start being able to get the ball in the net?

IM: The team has really set me up, and I know they have faith in me and trust me when I'm up-top playing forward to score goals, so they've been behind me and supporting me.

TN: Have you been a little more aggressive as well?

IM:Yeah, I'd like to think so, I mean definitely getting that win against Hartford helped everyone, and having one of our goals in that game really boosted my confidence and I'm like 'OK, I can start attacking now' for this team.

TN: How cool is it that you get to play both football and soccer?

IM: I like it a lot, my brother did it last year, and being able to follow that on and he's (also) been able to teach me some things. It's pretty cool because I have friends on both teams, so it's fun doing soccer and then Friday's going to football games and being able to do things in both of them.

Isaiah Merrill

Oshkosh West, Sr.

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