Inducted 1993. Holds Career Record for Goals in Soccer. Class of 1979.
Gary Koetters is the first soccer player to be inducted in the QND Hall of Fame. He is the first of along line of fine soccer players at QND.
Koetters’ career really took off in the fall of 1976 when, as a sophomore, he became a varsity starter. He really came into the limelight in the fall of 1977, his junior season, when he was team MVP and was selected to the All Sectional team. He had 17 goals and 9 assists that year and helped the Raiders to sectional before they were eliminated.
In his senior season, 1978, the Raiders went 25-2 and lost to Granite City for the right to go to State. Koetters scored 47 goals, a school record, had 13 assists and set a school record for scoring 6 goals in one game. He ended his career scoring 64 goals, a school record, and dishing out 22 assists. Koetters was noted for his clean play and sportsmanship. He was named MVP of the soccer team for the second straight year, was All-Sectional for the second straight year, was on the All-State and AII-Midwest teams and was named an All-American that year.
Koetters went on to Rollins College in Florida where he was a 4-year starter. He was inducted into the Rollins College Hall of Fame in March 1993.
Koetters set the standard for QND Soccer for years to come and his example has led to many years of success in soccer at QND. Congratulations on a job well done.