About Community Grant
Winners
National Winners
State Winners
Winner Access Nominate
mobile navigation - click to open mobile navigation - click to close
6 Days Until the State Girls Soccer Announcement
Gatorade 2025 - 2026: Player of the Year

Boys Soccer - Kansas

Gatorade Player of the year

Dylan Willingham

Forward
WASHBURN RURAL HS
TOPEKA, KANSAS
SENIOR
Height: 6-FOOT-2
Press Release

Peak Performance

37

Goals

7

Assists

67

Career Goals
“Dylan is probably the most aggressive and determined attacking player I’ve coached against. No one exemplifies Washburn’s hard-working style of play better than Dylan. Trying to keep him from scoring for 80 or even 100 minutes is nearly impossible. He’s a guy who is going to find his goal (or goals) in any game he plays in no matter the conditions or opponent.”
Skylar Rough
Head Coach - Blue Valley North

Athletic Excellence

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior forward led the Junior Blues to a 19-1-1 record and the Class 6A state championship this past season. Willingham scored 37 goals and passed for 7 assists, breaking the school’s record for single-season and career goals (67). The only player in history to be a two-time Centennial League Player of the Year, he is the state’s sole 2025-26 United Soccer Coaches All-American in addition to being recognized as the Class 6A Forward of the Year.

Academic Achievement

Willingham has maintained a 4.74 weighted GPA in the classroom. He has signed a written letter of athletic aid to play soccer on scholarship at the University of Nebraska this fall.

Exemplary Character

Willingham has volunteered locally by helping to organize and oversee a blood-donation drive on campus. He has also donated his time as a tutor for district middle schoolers and as a youth coach at Champions Soccer Camp for the last three summers.