Wilke to join CAPER men's soccer program in the fall

By IAIN KING

OKE WILKE has grown up in a soccer-mad German household. His dad Martin is a passionate youth coach. The 6'2" centre-back thrives on being around those whose love of The Beautiful Game emanates from them. That's why in CBU CAPERS Head Coach, Deano Morley, Oke feels he has found the perfect mentor to guide his next adventure in the sport he loves.

The powerful defender, who will study Business Administration when he becomes a CAPER this fall, reveals, "I started playing when I was four. I was growing up with the ball at my feet because my dad is the biggest soccer guy I know.

"He's been coaching every youth team in my city. It's crazy, he's just so into it.

"I think I connect with that level of passion and after talking to Deano I was like, OK, I'm going to do it with Cape Breton. It looks so fun there and the coach's huge sense of commitment was an important aspect for me.

"I was looking at a few other universities too, doing my research. Deano stressed to me that they are really focused on football, now I need to call it soccer, at CBU.

"There are little things that matter, there are no American football lines on the field at CBU. The focus is on soccer and the facilities are superb.

"Deano convinced me to come over. He is a passionate guy, and you look into the stories and the program winning the national title in 2023 and all that.

"I just felt that this would be a great opportunity."

CAPERS coach Morley has delved into the German market before to land national title winning striker Nikolai Scheurenbrand whose dedication to life as a student-athlete was shown when he was ranked as an Academic All-Canadian this fall.

Deano smiles, "I am very excited to welcome Oke to our CAPERS family. From our very first conversation I was impressed. He is level-headed yet passionate, grounded yet driven by a strong winning mentality. Those are leadership traits we value deeply in our program.

"It takes real bravery to leave home, leave your country and embrace a new challenge. I give Oke tremendous credit for trusting himself enough to take that step. That courage tells you a lot about his character.

"He is committed to succeeding both academically and athletically, and from our discussions, I know he will bring value, respect and professionalism to our Cape Breton community."

When Morley sat down to ponder what was needed for his 2026 recruitment class dominant centre-backs were high on his list. In 20-year-old Wilke he feels he has found one.

"On the field, he has attributes that excite me," reasons Deano. "He is calm on the ball, has excellent vision, the ability to break lines with his passing and is press-resistant which is critical for a centre-back in a team that wants to build and play progressive football.

"Oke is dominant in the air and physically built for the demands of the AUS league. He is a quality signing.

"I expect him to settle in quickly and bring strong communication, composure, and leadership to our back line. We are proud to welcome him to Cape Breton and look forward to watching him grow within our environment."

When we spoke, Oke was about to head out to a pre-season game for his hometown team, Lueneburger SK, who play in the Oberliga, the fifth tier of German soccer. The standard is high in Lower Saxony and when he isn't playing, the dedicated defender follows the fortunes of Hannover 96 who are currently lying fifth in Bundesliga 2.

Yet for Oke it has always been more about playing himself and he admits: "I always wanted to go abroad to play.

"I'm looking forward to moving to Canada so much. I'm so excited because it's a very new chapter.

"My first year in men's soccer has been very exciting too, but this is a different step, going abroad, going away from my family. I'm a bit nervous too.

"I hope that I can come into the CAPERS and bring physicality to the pitch and some game intelligence. I'm also a very emotional player I'd say and as a centre-back, I think I'm technically sound.

"With my height, of course, I can be a bit of presence in the air.  That's what you can expect from me."

Oke's far-ranging conversations with Coach Deano have included a look into the draft system and the chances of a summer sojourn in League One or the Canadian Premier League.

He is aware of the opportunities life at the CAPERS can bring but for now his focus is fully on learning how to become a productive student-athlete.

Oke admits: "When you first look at the playing schedule and you are from Europe you are so confused.

"There are a lot of games in a span of like two and a half months and I will have to learn to adapt to that.

"You know, I watched a full game that involved Mount Royal University as part of my research into this move.

"I was a bit surprised because I saw an opponent I had called Tim Beckedahl who I was playing against in the youth leagues in Germany and he plays for Mount Royal.

"I saw that he was not even playing in the starting 11 at the beginning there and that made me see how high of a standard there is in U SPORTS and the level CBU had reached to win that title.

"Now one of my big goals now is to help them get back to that level again."