Kouts senior forward Caden Spagna is on the verge of a hat trick.
He holds the program record for goals in a game.
He holds the program record for goals in a season.
And the program record for goals in a career could be within his grasp.
“I’d love to hold all three of the goal records,” Spagna said.
He scored seven goals in the Mustangs’ 10-0 win against Winamac on Sept. 12, eclipsing the six by 2011 graduate Syd Robertson.
He has 27 goals after Porter County Conference champion Kouts (9-5-2, 5-0) lost 3-0 to Wheeler on Thursday to close the regular season, surpassing the 26 by 2013 graduate Jordan Greavu.
With 60 goals in his career, Spagna trails only Greavu’s 64. He scored five goals as a freshman, 11 as a sophomore and 17 last season.
“It’s been a very progressive journey scoring-wise,” Spagna said. “That’s what I’m out there to do, help our team put some in the net. So it feels good to score as many as I have.”
Kouts coach Nathan Breininger has seen that type of ability throughout the career of the 6-foot Spagna, who also has four assists this season.
“He’s always been a strong player, somebody who contributed,” Breininger said. “When he came in as a freshman, he was a lot smaller but still very aggressive going to the ball. He always had a presence in the air, being able to get his head on the ball and being able to score and win balls out of the air.
“From freshman year to senior year, he’s just become more knowledgeable about the game. He’s one of the leaders of the team. He’s really stepped up this year.”
Indeed, Spagna has grown to take on added responsibilities.
“One thing I’ve improved with is just becoming a leader,” he said. “Last year, I wasn’t named a captain. This year I am. I’ve taken pride in the ability to lead our teammates. I’ve always wanted to play a bigger role in our team, and now I feel like I’m where I wanted to be. It’s exciting.”
Spagna’s record-setting 27th goal this season was a particularly memorable one. He converted a penalty kick for the game’s only goal against Morgan Township on Monday, wrapping up the Mustangs’ second PCC title.
Morgan Township’s roster includes record-setting senior forward Cooper Spagna, Caden’s cousin. Caden Spagna’s brother Connor is a junior defender/midfielder for Kouts, and their older brother Cole was a defender who graduated in 2022.
“The Spagna family has had a ton of success recently,” Caden Spagna said. “That’s pretty cool. Connor and I grew up playing together. Cooper was also on our team, a couple of Morgan kids were on our team, a couple of our guys were on our team. We’ve all been together for a very long time. It’s kind of sad and exciting playing each other because we want to win, but we love each other so much. It was pretty stressful at times.
“But putting that goal in against Morgan was such a relief, especially with it being the record goal against such a big rival in such an important game. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
Kouts senior defender Ryan Roznowski is one of those players who has been teammates with Spagna for a long time. He sent the long ball to Spagna that resulted in the PK against Morgan Township.
“Caden really makes us go,” Roznowski said. “Goals win you games, and he puts them away when we need them.”
Spagna shared the credit for that success.
“I’ve been getting a lot of praise for how our team has been doing, but it’s not just me,” he said. “It’s our whole team. My team links up with me very well. They’re able to find me on my runs. They’re able to connect with me pretty well. It’s just the ability to be found by my teammates and me just finishing the opportunities they started.”
Spagna also scored two goals when Kouts posted a 3-0 win against perennial PCC winner Boone Grove on Sept. 24.
“Coming into high school, it was always something I wanted, to be a PCC champion,” he said. “Our conference in soccer and every other sport is one of the most competitive around. So winning something that big is truly meaningful to me and my teammates.
“But it also was a shock to most teams that we won the PCC, beating Boone Grove. That’s something I haven’t done in my high school career until last week. They’re always the team to beat.”
The Mustangs have used three formations this season, with Spagna as a center forward each time. But he spent much of his first three seasons as a midfielder.
“This year, I’ve moved him up to striker, where he played more of a midfield role for a lot of his career, so it was just kind of having to coach him to stay high on offense,” Breininger said. “He’s one of those players who wants to be where the ball is, so it was kind of hard for him. He wants to win the ball and play defense more than what the striker position calls for.
“But he’s played the position I need him to play and done it well. He’s really taken that coaching and that advice and utilized it and been successful getting those goals, which is what we’ve needed for him to do this year.”
The results have been stellar for the Mustangs, who won their only sectional title and reached a regional final during the same season they won their only other PCC title in 2020.
Kouts opens the postseason in the Class 1A Wheeler Sectional on Wednesday with a game against either Hebron or Washington Township. The host Bearcats, who topped the Mustangs 2-0 in a sectional semifinal last season, are potential opponents in the final.
“Our team definitely has the ability,” Spagna said. “It’s just if we want to work hard enough and put our minds to it to really take it home.”
Spagna earned extensive varsity minutes in basketball for the first time last winter. He played baseball his first two years of high school, doubling up in track as a sophomore.
But soccer has remained his focus, and he has been taking college visits, including earlier this week.
“College ball is always something I thought I was capable of, and now it’s becoming a reality,” Spagna said. “That’s pretty cool.”
This season has been cool for Kouts too.
“I just like this team,” Spagna said. “I like our ability to adapt, and we bond well together. It’s a great group of guys. This team is something special.
“We didn’t have any seniors last year. We had a whole returning group. We had that returning cast, plus a freshman and some sophomores, so we knew what we were capable of doing. It’s exciting to see it come true.”
