Cherokee’s Wallace A True Soccer Game Changer

by Marc Narducci | Sep 9, 2026

It didn’t take very long for Cherokee senior Kyle Wallace to make a major impact on the 2026 soccer season. In the Chiefs’ opening 3-1 win over a strong Haddon Township team, Wallace scored twice, including a highlight film goal to put the game away late in the second half. During his second game he added a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win over Notre Dame.

Wallace is among South Jersey’s top players. Last season he recorded six goals and five assists and was named second-team All-South Jersey by the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association.

He was a vital part of an 11-6-2 Cherokee team that won the always rugged Olympic Conference American Division with a 3-0-2 record. The Chief also advanced to the South Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals before being eliminated by Eastern 2-1.

This year Wallace is expected to have an even greater role. The Chiefs have a new coach in former assistant Matt Acciani, with plenty of new varsity teammates since 16 seniors graduated from last year’s team.

That means that Wallace will be assuming an even greater leadership role, although he says this team doesn’t need much prodding.

“These guys, they all want to work hard, and you don’t really have to do much pushing,” he said. “They all show intensity and want to win.”

In his first year as head coach Cherokee’s head coach, Acciani couldn’t be more thrilled to have Wallace as one of the team’s driving forces.

“He is really a special player,” Acciani said. “You see the goals he scores and the ability there, but for us the importance goes beyond that.”

Acciani was talking about the intangibles that Wallace brings to the team.

“He’s a captain and he is one of our hardest-working guys,” Acciani said. “We came into camp and he was up at the top at every fitness test, so it’s really setting an example when a guy who is that talented, is also bringing that work rate.”

Then there is also what Wallace contributes on the field.

“The stuff he can do with the ball, he can dictate the game,” Acciani said. “He can finish, he can set up the offense so I really can’t say enough about what he does.”

Wallace estimates that he began playing soccer at the age of seven and from the beginning he was always an attacking player, putting plenty of pressure on opposing defenses.

After this season, Wallace will continue his education and soccer career at the College of New Jersey, which competes in one of the best Division III conferences, the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). Last year TCNJ went 11-5-2 and advanced to the NJAC championship before losing to Rowan.

While he is excited about the future, Wallace is even more pumped up for this season. Cherokee appears to be a long list of contenders in South Jersey Group 4.

“I think we have a real shot,” Wallace said. “As long as we keep playing hard, play 100 percent, we should be competitive with any team.”

No. 11 in white Kyle Wallace of Cherokee / Marc Narducci

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Author: Marc Narducci

Cherokee’s Wallace A True Soccer Game Changer

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