High Hopes for DHS Boys’ Soccer Team: Coach Jeff Hoyt stresses teamwork and discipline for a successful season.

By David Chmiel

Jeff Hoyt is beginning his 12th season as the head coach of the Dover High School boys’ soccer team. During his tenure, the Tigers have amassed a regular-season record of 146-67-10. The teams have a 21-9 postseason record, winning two Sectional Championships (2017 & 2020) and finishing as state championship runner-up in 2017. In 2024, the team record was 15-5 overall, with a 9-1 record in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (NWJAC) - Freedom Division, where they finished as champions.

As Coach Hoyt and the team prepare for the first game of the 2025 season (4 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 4, at Hackettstown High School), he answered a few questions about the team and his goals for the players: 

1. You have been coaching for a long time. What gets you energized to face each season's challenges?

With players graduating each year, the roster turns over. Seeing how the new players step up and take on the challenge of replacing whoever left keeps things fresh. Every season brings a new challenge. And quite frankly, working with these guys rejuvenates me every year. When one season ends, I immediately start counting down the days until we can get started again for another run.

2. What have been the keys to the program's sustained success?

We have been able to establish a culture here at Dover High School that fosters a team/family environment. Having talented players who come in each year and are willing to adapt to the style of play that we teach gives us a chance to be successful each year. We set lofty goals each year and try our best to reach them. 

3. What are the key ingredients for building the Dover soccer program?

Over the years, I've been blessed to have some very talented players come through this program. One of the main things that I established early on was that no one is more important than the team. We all need to work together to accomplish our goals. We come up with a team motto each season and try very hard to remind our players that they need to work together. 

4. What are your expectations for this season's team?

This year's team brings back six starters from a talented squad that won a division championship last season. With a talented group of newcomers coming up, we should be poised to defend our title. We are looking to improve our performance in both counties and states. We lost in the quarterfinals of the Morris County Tournament and in the first round of states last season. I don't want to diminish what we achieved last season, but we expect more. Our goal every year is to win both a county championship and a state championship. This squad is talented enough to do both. 

5. Who are your top returning players? What makes them essential to the team's success?

We have a strong group of seniors returning this season. Our leading scorer last year was Matias Gonzalez, who was able to net 16 goals on the season on his way to a First Team All-County nod. His pace, creativity, and shooting make him a difficult player to defend. Bryan Valdes is another returning senior who played a big role on last year's team, who we are looking to make a major contribution this upcoming season as well. Bryan is an outstanding center midfielder who can dictate a game from his position and was also an All-County player last season. 

6. Who among your underclassmen do you expect to be breakout players? What skills do they possess?

We keep an eye on our underclassmen every year and have been lucky to have had a few freshmen make their mark at the varsity level. Last season, Jhosua Barrientos stepped up as the season went on and showed that he had the ability to make an impact. With a whole year to get even better, we are looking for big things from him this season. He is very calm and composed on the ball and reads the game extremely well.

7. Which teams do you expect to be the toughest match-ups this season?

We worked hard on putting together a competitive schedule for this upcoming season. In addition to our division opponents, we schedule Mount Olive, Morristown, Union, Livingston, Pequannock, and Seton Hall Prep. Each of these teams will be a challenge, with Seton Hall Prep being a perennial top-10 team in the state. These games will help us prepare for the rigors of the state tournament.