Brian Wojton takes a free kick during a practice on Aug. 18, 2015 at Robbinsville High School. (Photo by Suzette. J. Lucas.)
When Brian Wojton started to relax, that’s when opposing goalkeepers had to start getting nervous.
During his sophomore season with the Robbinsville High boys’ soccer team last year, Wojton was scoreless in the Ravens’ first three matches.
“I remember in my first two or three games, I had a couple shots on goal but a couple of missed chances,” Wojton said. “And then right in the middle of the season I felt like I started hitting a good shot. I started calming down when I was in front of the goal. I used to rush the ball, rush my shot, so I started slowing down a little bit.”
And his goal scoring output sped up drastically. Wojton proceeded to score 14 over the final 19 games to shatter the school’s single-season record. Brendan Barca previously held the mark with eight in 2012. Wojton had a two-goal game against Trenton to tie the record with five games remaining, and scored against Hopewell to break it with three games left in the Ravens’ 6-10-3 campaign.
He had five games in which he scored two goals, including a state tournament loss to Holmdel. More impressively, his goals didn’t come in one-sided blowouts to pad his stats.
“He scored game-winning goals in overtime—big goals,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “It wasn’t just like we were beating teams 3-0, and he scored the third goal. He was scoring the game-winning goals, and every team knew they had to watch our guy up top because he’s tough.”
He’s tough in more ways than one. Although not overly tall, Wojton is one of the Ravens strongest players. He uses his strength to grind things out and score hard-earned goals.
“He will run through anybody,” Fisher said. “He has that motor. He’ll score the ugly goals that most guys won’t get to just because he’s working that hard. He’s not low to the ground but he’s tough to knock off the ball. Over the summer and spring he’s been working on scoring more of those Premiere League type of [picturesque] goals.”
Wojton began playing soccer at age 4 at the urging of his parents. Soon after, he discovered football as well and played both in the fall. He played soccer for Pond Road Middle School and was a quarterback, running back and punter for the Robbinsville PAL team. By eighth grade he decided to focus on soccer.
“I just liked it better,” he said. “I think it’s more fun, more enjoyable.”
Wojton made the RHS varsity in ninth grade, which he admitted surprised him.
He not only made the team, but he became a starter. It was Fisher’s first year as head coach (he was interim at the time) and he used Wojton all over the place.
“We had some injuries, it was a rebuilding year,” Fisher said. “I moved him to the midfield at times, we had him at fullback, up top. He probably played five or six positions, which is tough on the varsity level. I think that experience is paying off.”
Wojton scored three goals as a freshman and blossomed while playing strictly forward last year. He feels that playing in the back as a freshman has definitely paid off in terms of what he wants to do with the ball.
“If you play defense you know what you want to make the forward do,” he explained. “So as a forward, you do the opposite. You go against what the defender wants to make you do.”
Both the player and coach were somewhat surprised at Wojton’s explosion last year.
“I could see that ability, but I was surprised he did it last year,” Fisher said.
Wojton added that he didn’t expect that kind of output.
This year it will be interesting, as Wojton will not be sneaking up on anyone. He was third in the CVC in goals and a second-team All-CVC pick last season, so added defensive attention will be coming his way. Fisher is hoping that the progress made by senior Kevin Ezzo, who joins Wojton up top, will help take some pressure off.
“We’ll have the luxury of having a nice supporting cast around him,” the coach said. “And Brian’s such a hard worker, even if there are two guys on him, he’s going to find a way to fight through it anyway.”
Wojton is working on another way to avoid being double and triple teamed. While he admits to wanting to break his goals record, he also wants to improve on his three assists from last year.
“As a forward, if you’re holding up the ball you should be able to play back to your center midfielders so they can get goals too, and spread out things more,” Wojton said. “Then they won’t focus on any one specific person.”
Whatever happens with Wojton, one thing became obvious to Fisher over the summer—Robbinsville is a better team whenever he is in the lineup.
“You can see the difference in us with him on the field compared to when he’s not,” the coach said. “They just know Brian’s gonna find a way to get something done when he’s on the field. His toughness inspires us to play that tough.”
That toughness is something that Wojton felt was missing in his freshman year, at least mentally. He felt if he learned anything about himself last season, it was that he had to maintain a focus no matter what was going on around him.
“Freshman year, I felt like when I got frustrated I just kind of didn’t want to play the game; I wouldn’t love the game,” Wojton said. “But last year, no matter what the scenario I always wanted to play and always loved playing.”
Wojton is one of many returnees to the Ravens this season, and hopes are high that Year Three of the Fisher Era can lead to some nice things. Robbinsville went from two wins in Fisher’s first year to six last season, along with a state tournament berth.
“We have a lot of potential,” said the former West Windsor-Plainsboro South standout. “This is the third year of our rebuilding process. I know we’re going to play a good brand of soccer, knock the ball around and stuff. How many wins that will lead to, who knows? The CVC is tough. But I think we have a lot of potential to do some things this year.”
Wojton agreed.
“We have a ton of chemistry, a lot of returning players and I just feel like we’re going to do great this year,” he said.
The Robbinsville High School boys’ soccer team is scheduled to open its regular season 4 p.m. Sept. 10 at Hightstown High School.
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