Highland soccer players Dylan and Cody Thomas signed to play for Heidelberg University. Pictured at the signing are (l-r): father Greg Thomas, Dylan Thomas, sister Brianna Thomas, Cody Thomas, Highland boys’ soccer coach John Sachleben and mother Marci Thomas.

Courtesy Photo

On March 21 at the Highland High School Cafetorium in front of an audience of 35 family members, coaches, and friends, Cody and Dylan Thomas committed to continuing their academic and soccer careers at Heidelberg University. The Thomas twins, seniors at Highland High School, are the sons of Greg and Marci Thomas of Howard.

Playing soccer together since the age of four, Cody and Dylan experienced many successes on the soccer field and in the classroom at Highland. Cody and Dylan will be the first boys soccer players in Highland soccer history to play soccer in college for an NCAA program. Both boys were 4-year starters and 4-year letterwinners for Highland soccer, while serving as team captains their senior seasons. In addition, both were named All-Conference for the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference.

With the exception of goalie, both played every soccer position during a game in high school while also never missing a game in four years. They are both academic letterwinners and both are receiving the Fellows Award Scholarship at Heidelberg University for academic achievement. Cody and Dylan have been named to the honor roll for every single grading period in high school. Cody will also be receiving the Choose Ohio First Scholarship (S.T.E.M. Scholarship).

John Sachleben, who was the head coach for the twins’ four years at Highland, spoke at the signing. Sachleben described the twins as, “Always a pleasure to be around. Fun, smart, just all-around good guys. Very coachable and very respectful. They were selfless players who have tremendous skill and put the team first”. Sachleben continued, “The twins were raised right and that will continue to translate to success not only on the soccer field but in life. I’ll miss our practices and team meals…our talks. The moments off the field were just as special as on the field”.

Cody and Dylan had options of where to play college soccer. When their senior season ended, they began the process of visiting campuses and talking with college coaching staffs. Both boys had a desire to attend the same college as each other. They wanted to go to a school that was not too far from home and was smaller in size. Ultimately, it came down to a choice between Heidelberg University and Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

Cody, the younger of the twins by five minutes, said, “I knew I wanted to attend a small college where I would get to personally know the professors and they would get to know me. I also knew that finding a school that offered biology (Pre-Med) was a must. When I first got on Heidelberg’s campus, I loved it. It was the perfect size for me. Then, after meeting a few Biology professors, along with getting to spend time with Coach Spell (Heidelberg Men’s head soccer coach Nick Spell), Heidelberg just felt right. Coach Spell was very personable and friendly. He wants his team to have a family mentality, just like Coach Sachleben, and that means a lot. I have already had a chance to meet some of my future teammates, and having my brother go to the same college and continuing to play with me, that is going to be really cool”.

Dylan, like his brother, fell in love with Heidelberg right away. “When looking for a college, I wanted to find one that was close enough to home where I could study education and play soccer. Heidelberg checked the box for everything on my college wish list. I have been able to spend a lot of time on Heidelberg’s campus so far, and I have already met a lot of really nice people. The education professors seem to really want their students to learn and do well. Coach Spell made my family and me so comfortable. He is super player friendly and I can tell he cares about his players. He spent hours with us, giving us a tour of the campus and introducing us all to professors and staff. The soccer complex is awesome- they have a home turf stadium, but also have a second home grass field we will play on. Also, I am able to play with Cody for four more years. We have played soccer together for 15 years, and to be able to continue together means a lot”.

While continuing their soccer careers in college was important to the twins, they knew that finding a school that offers their desired areas of study was essential. Cody, looking to study biology (Pre-Med), while Dylan, wanting to study Education, felt right at home when visiting and spending time with Heidelberg professors in their respective fields. From the admissions staff to the professors to the their soon to be soccer coach and teammates, Heidelberg just felt right.

For Cody and Dylan, graduating from Highland will be bittersweet. Dylan stated, “I will miss Highland. I will miss the teachers and staff, and I will miss my soccer coaches and teammates. I’ve had a great time at Highland. We improved on the field every year over the past four seasons and we won a playoff game, the first time ever in Highland history, my junior season”.

Cody added, “I’m going to really miss playing soccer at Highland. I loved playing for Coach Sachleben. We had a lot of fun and I made so many memories. I’m going to really miss the great teachers and staff there too. I’m grateful for how the teachers prepared me for the next chapter- going to college”.

As for rooting them on at Heidelberg, in addition to their parents and younger sister (Brianna), the twins will have another familiar face in the stands in Sachleben. “I’ll be watching them play at Heidelberg. I’m retired now, so I will make some of their games. I look forward to seeing both boys continue to grow and accomplish great things”.

Information received from Greg Thomas.