Making senior memories: Welborn named Robertson's soccer player of year

Tyler Welborn had a lot of chances to make passes on the basketball court, score goals on the soccer field and make memories during his senior year at White House Heritage.

Welborn, this year’s Robertson County Soccer Player of the Year, rarely wasted those chances.

“Every moment, I just wanted to be with my friends,” Welborn said. “I just wanted to make sure every moment was enjoyable, and I didn’t want to miss any opportunities to make memories, and I think I did pretty good about that. You take every chance to make a memory, but you only get so many.”

Welborn, also named to the Times’ first team all-county basketball squad, scored 31 goals and added 17 assists for the Patriots.

“The whole year was a lot of fun,” Welborn said. “Going to school my senior year with people I’ve grown up with my whole life, going from basketball and ending that on a high note and then going on to soccer, it was a blessing to be part of a great school with great friends and great teammates.”

Both the basketball and soccer teams made the region tournament. Both sports will provide memories down the road.

“I had good friends in basketball and soccer,” Welborn said, “and just being able to spend that time with them, winning on the field and then going off and having a good time together, that’s probably the best memory for me.”

Heritage coach Seth Kirby said Welborn’s influence on the soccer team was apparent when Welborn was still playing basketball.

“We had a scrimmage and he was still playing basketball, and we didn’t play very well,” Kirby said. “(Coach) Rett (Roach) said it was like we were a ‘4’ or a ‘5’ when he wasn’t there, and he was an ‘8’ when he got back. You’ve always got a chance when he’s in there.

Welborn will play basketball at Trevecca, where Heritage head coach Mike Petrone is on the coaching staff. He also has post-graduate plans.

“I think I want to major in sports medicine and then get accepted into med school. My overall goal is to become a pediatric radiologist,” Welborn said. “My dad wanted to be a radiologist and he didn’t have the money to do so. He couldn’t afford it, and he told me he would pay for whatever I wanted to be.”

Welborn is also grateful to Petrone, Kirby and Roach.

“All my coaches have been big role models in my life, and I really want to say thank you to them for all they’ve done,” he said.