Soccer: the beautiful game

By Johann Rodriguez

This year was a great year to be on the field. Soccer players had a great season but ended up losing in the quarter finals. Our goal was to use the hard work we put into every practice in every game. Every game was a new challenge for us. We had to give it our all every single game no matter what. We trained for the moment on the field. We never gave up. Giving up is the worst thing we could possibly do. We have the best team in the state, and that’s a fact.

In the game against Madras, we gave it our all. It was the worst game we have ever played. There was no chemistry in that game whatsoever.  We messed up a lot. We had the game, but we just lost it. It was a depressing moment for all of us. We lost possession, we didn’t chase after players, we didn’t keep our heads up, and we didn’t do much right. At halftime, I tried to pump the team up. I wanted to give them energy to finish the game strong with a win. Adrian Martinez, a junior soccer player, tried to pump the team up as well. He knew we were down, but he had hope. Everyone was ready and pumped up. But when the second half started, sadly, Adrian got hurt. He was on the grass yelling in pain grabbing his knee. It was such a sad moment to see a great player fall in pain. Adrian was taken to the hospital… The game end as 3-2 with Madras taking the win.

That was such a sad ending to see every Pioneer player cry and have their heads down. This game meant a lot to us. We wanted to win for the seniors since they are so important to us. The help us with everything, they have taught us how to be great people on and off the field. They have watched out for us and made sure that we wouldn’t take the wrong path. I’m glad to call them my family. They are so important to me. It was so sad the seeing the seniors cry knowing the will never get another chance to win state during high school. All six of them have a great future ahead of them. The seniors are Juan Salazar, Mark Lua, Humberto Villagomez, Eduardo Corona, Carlos Epifanio, and Sabas Rodriguez. I hope all of them go to college, continue to play soccer, graduate, and end up going pro. Much love for them. Next year we’ll try our best to go to state and win for ourselves and them.