There’s a new lucky number around the Swamp! Thirteen goals, wait…make that number fourteen! That’s fourteen goals, the new bar set by junior Tyler Pidgeon for the most goals scored in Green Level men’s soccer history. The number is now fourteen, after Pidgeon added to his dominance, scoring another goal in the Gator’s victory against Apex last night.
This is Pidgeon’s first season playing on varsity for the Gators men’s soccer team, and he has already added his name to the Green Level record books, following his two-goal performance, his twelfth and thirteenth of the season, in last week’s conference match against Willow Spring.
Only a junior and he has already had such a big impact in, not only the Gators 2025 campaign, but also Green Level history.
Pidgeon said, “It means a lot to me, it definitely has my expectations high for next year, and I want to break the record again.”
The previous record had been set by Ellis Garver, a class of 2024 graduate, who scored twelve goals in the 2023 season. A season where the Gators had an immense amount of success, ending the season with a 14-3-3 record, and as the SWAC conference champions.
“Entering the game against Willow Spring, I knew I was a goal away from tying it, and just two from breaking it,” Pidgeon said, “and when I broke it was really cool, but we tried not to overreact because we were up 4-1 at that point.”
Pidgeon has had an array of big performances this season aside from his record-breaking performance against Willow Spring, including a hat-trick against Rolesville, where he tacked in three goals. Pidgeon also had a pair of goals in the win against conference foe Panther Creek, and he tacked in the lone goal in the match against Middle Creek, where the Gators knocked off the fifth-ranked team in the state, in what could be a preview of the battle for the Quad City 7 Conference when it happens later this season.
Pidgeon called the Middle Creek game his most memorable moment this season.
Pidgeon said, “For me, it was being able to have the goal in that game, and beating the number one team in the 919.”
In fact, Pidgeon has been such an important factor for the Gators offensively, that he has scored a goal in all but four games this season. One of those games came against Myers Park, who were, at the time, the number one team in the state. The Gators would fall to Myers Park two goals to Myers Park’s three, but in games where Pidgeon has scored, the Gators 8-0-2.
With just eight games left in the Gators’ season, and the push for a conference title, and playoff appearance begins.
Pidgeon noted, “We have to forget about records and focus on each and every game and try to win. And we want to accomplish all the goals that we have for this season.”
Pidgeon’s success, and the success of his teammates all under first-year head coach Eddie Wasdell has lifted the Gators to new heights this season. Pidgeon is hoping that the success in the record books can translate onto the field as postseason push begins.
“We all believe that we can win, and the new coaching staff has made us better than we’ve ever been,” Pidgeon said.
The Gators, and their top goal scorer Pidgeon return to action next Tuesday against Jordan, as a tune up for their rivalry game against Green Hope, which will take place next week Thursday.
