Although the boy’s soccer team won sectionals on Oct. 10 against Andrean 2-1, they lost regionals when they fell to Rensselaer on Oct. 14, 0-3. A regional title would have been nice, but the team saw a different game in that post-season run as their true victory: the first sectional match-up against Wheeler, 1-0.

  Freshman Danny Salazar, keeper, saved seven balls from entering the goal, while senior Gabriel Anguiano made a penalty goal in the 60th minute of the game for the victory. This win ended Wheeler’s four-time sectional championship streak and gave the Warriors the go-ahead victory over Andrean for the sectional championship.

  “I think the Wheeler game was bigger [than the Andrean game],” Salazar said. “Scoring and keeping the score for a long time was a hard task; there wouldn’t be an Andrean game without that win, so the Wheeler game was bigger one.”

  Head coach Armando Garza also thinks the Wheeler victory highlighted the post-season.  

  “Being able to hold Wheeler to a 1-0 victory and scoreless was the start of the defense and [them]believing in themselves,” Garza said. “Going into the sectionals championships against Andrean gave us a complete team effort and momentum from the Wheeler game.”

  Junior Alfonso Soto, who scored both goals against Andrean in the championship game, says the team accomplished its goal this season.

  “We reached our goal of winning a sectional title, something that hadn’t happened since 2010. We hoped on going further in the state tournament but it didn’t go our way. The goal was to win that sectional title and we did it,” Soto said. “Our achievement is nothing small. Winning that sectional trophy against our rival felt really good.”

  Even though it was a predicted win, the sectional championship against Andrean had some difficulties.

  “The biggest challenge was fighting back from being down 1-0 at halftime. Our determination kept us going and eventually we came out on top,” Soto said.

  Salazar said the biggest challenge for him at the game was when an Andrean player went one on one with him.

  “The closer he got the more nervous I got, I just believed in myself and hoped of getting a save for the team,” Salazar said.

  This has been the first sectional win since 2010. Garza says he knows why.

  “This year we went through a season with young talent that grew together individually then into a team. We went through our steps. We learned about each other as we developed. Our defense and keeper as well as the whole team learned what it took to play in much bigger games. In the past players were ready but we faltered under big games. Bad luck always hit us. Future looks promising again,” Garza said.

  Although the team won sectionals, the players noticed some of the flaws that should have been dealt with before regionals.

  “I think our biggest weakness was probably corner kicks. We’re a small team and it’s hard to defend a ball in the air when you have a bigger kid that you have to mark,” Salazar said.

  Soto thinks that the team needs to improve on set plays and working with the back line.

  Also, players think the loss of the seniors will affect the team, but they plan to overcome it.

  “The loss of our seniors will affect us. It always does. Not having Gabriel [Anguiano] playing striker with me up top  is something I will have to get accustomed to, but the seniors leaving gives other players the opportunity to step up and fill the roles that will be left,” Soto said. “Our team will still be strong.”

  The team will continue to improve as they continue to work hard.

  “We’re a young team with a small amount of seniors so we’ll have a lot of chemistry next year and that’s pretty big,” Salazar said.