Marion’s Jackson Kirsch, the top Iowa high school goal-scorer, brings a coach’s mind to the pitch

Jackson Kirsch was an important part of last year’s state-qualifying Marion boys’ soccer team.

The then-sophomore’s role?

“He stepped up and was almost our third assistant coach,” Marion head boys’ soccer coach Kory Boebel said. “He has an extensive knowledge of soccer. He helps pretty much coach the team. It’s a really unique scenario, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

This season, the Wolves are back in the Class 2A state tournament and Kirsch is doing more than help out the staff.

A lot more. Back from a knee injury that kept him sidelined most of last season, he has scored 55 goals, a number that easily leads the state (all classes) by 17. That’s more goals than 114 of the state’s 165 teams have managed.

“It’s soccer IQ,” Boebel said of his prolific goal-scorer’s best skill. “He knows how the game flows. He’s thinking two, three steps ahead when kids are thinking, ‘oh, boy, what am I going to do when I get the ball at my feet?’ The way he’s able to read the game and make runs to put himself in scoring position really helps separate him from the rest of the pack.”

Asked his favorite method of scoring, the coach, er, junior forward has an immediate answer.

“This has happened so many times this year,” Kirsch said. “My teammate plays a perfect ball through, and it’s almost like a team goal, when they give you a pass so good it’s almost like you can’t not score it.”

Kirsch and the fourth-seeded Wolves (16-1) will be hoping to create and capitalize on more of those opportunities around 2:40 p.m. Wednesday when they face No. 5-seed Gilbert (16-2) in a state quarterfinal game at Cownie Soccer Park in Des Moines.

It’s the second straight year Marion has advanced to state and fourth since 2017.

Last season’s appearance seemingly came out of nowhere, a No. 5 substate seed winning three postseason road games as part of a nine-game win streak overall. Kirsch got to return to the field for part of that run, even scoring in the 5-1 substate final win.

It was a taste of what was to come — for a player who also lost his freshman season due to the pandemic, and for a program that is emerging as an Eastern Iowa power.

“I’ve been looking forward to playing with these kids ever since I got injured last year,” Kirsch said. “My teammates have been amazing to me. They’ve welcomed me from the first game and it’s been everything I’ve hoped for.”

Marion has won 16 games in a row, including a perfect record in the Wamac Conference. Its only loss was to 3A state qualifier Cedar Rapids Prairie. Its last 10 opponents have failed to score, including Decorah (14-4) in Marion’s 3-0 substate final win Wednesday.

Kirsch’s brother, Grayson, has been a big part of that defensive effort, starting at center back as a freshman next to captain Bordy Bingham. Boebel points to guys like goalkeeper Calen Claypool and outside back Jordan Fischer, too. Landon Gaines, Nathaniel Smith and Logan Tilkes have rotated in. Elijah Smith has helped keep the pressure off them, while Ethan Karminski’s hustle is unmatched.

That covers just some of the names that don’t stick out on Bound the way Jackson Kirsch’s does in a sport with few basic stats.

But 16-1, everyone sees that. A good coach can tell you how many players it takes to make that happen.

“I’m super proud of the guys,” Kirsch said. “I try to communicate and try (to help) with defensive positioning, but really, it’s all them and they’ve done a super good job.”

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com