John Werner was an iconic and important figure for soccer in Vermont. The fall high school season marked the first time he would not get an opportunity to watch, after he passed away in March 2018 due to cancer.
In a fitting tribute, both the Arlington Memorial boys and girls soccer teams — each coached by a former player of Werner’s — won their respective championships.
“He’s smiling down on us right now,” boys head coach Todd Wilkins — who played for Werner in 1992 and 1993 — said in a postgame interview with the Bennington Banner in November.
“It means everything in the world and to do it with the boys, too, that made it extra special, especially after John’s death,” Tess Belnap — who scored all three goals in the state championship game and eclipsed the 100-goal mark for her career — said in the same Bennington Banner article.
