After taking a fourth place in district, the boys soccer team made the playoffs for the first time under first year head coach Eric Nichols. The team came into the season as an underdog within the tough District 27-6A, but after finishing the year with a 12-5-5 (7-3-3 in district) record, they were able to capture the final playoff spot.

“Several teams in the district returned most of their starters that made the playoffs,” Nichols said. “We had to find ways to compete against those teams.”

The team did just that against No. 2 ranked Warren 1-0 Thursday in the bi-district round.. These guys have done a tremendous job and have worked so hard for this. We are onto the Area Championship next week. Opponent, time, and location to be announced.

The team has been anchored by their three captains, senior Cord Sabbatini and juniors Jozaier Douglas and Jonathan Diaz on the defensive end. Seniors Luis Green and Nathaniel Diaz provided the offensive firepower for the team, scoring 28 and 17 goals respectively, while also seeing solid contributions from fellow seniors Christian Robles and Noel Perez.

“I believe they have all stepped up by leading by example,” Nichols said. “They are hardworking and dedicated to the team trying to make a playoff run this season.”

After missing the playoffs in 2017, this was a big step for the program, but according to Nichols, they still have to grow.

“We have to learn to elevate our play and to not back down,” he said. “We need to learn to win the big games and learn to compete for an entire game.”