The HP Boys Soccer team has had a mixed season, with the JV team having a strong season and the Varsity team having a challenging one.
The JV Boys soccer team has had an overall record of 7-4-2, but their league record is 5-3-1, while Varsity has had an overall record of 3-7-6 and they are currently 6th in the Eastern League.
HP Boys Soccer team welcomed the commencement of the Spring Semester with a game against South Gate High School Rams on January 11. Unfortunately, after a tough game, both JV and Varsity lost 1-0.
However, when it came to defeating HP’s rivals, Bell High School Eagles, on January 13, the Spartan JV team was able to hold their own weight, with a winning score of 2 – 1. One of the JV captains, sophomore Angel Ruiz scored the winning penalty kick against the Eagles. On the other hand, the Varsity boys fought a tough game with a score of 1-3.
“The most memorable game for me has been the bell game because the JV team won for the first time, and I scored the winning goal,” said Ruiz.
The Spartans faced off against the Garfield Bulldogs on January 18 at Garfield High School and the JV team came home with a win 1 – 0, while the varsity boys tied 2 – 2 with the Bulldogs.
“We are young, we have a lot of players, I think we will have a competitive season this year better than the last couple of years,” said Coach Werner Bonilla
Coach Werner Bonilla has been coaching the boys throughout the summer and winter break. There is an assistant coach, Eduardo Mateos, who has been guiding the JV boy’s team with their practices for five months so far.
The kids are staying late, and there is a high number of students participating, with a total of 48 athletes. Leading the boy’s varsity soccer team are Alex Baltazar, a senior, midfielder and striker, and Edwin Ensith, a junior. Baltazar is a senior in the Magnet program and has been working hand in hand with Coach Bonilla to grow as a leader within the team. Balthazar has expressed that he learns new skills throughout these games on the field.
“My most memorable game so far has been the Roosevelt game, I scored my first goal, and it felt good,” – said Baltazar.
The captains for the junior varsity team are Angel Ruiz, a sophomore, center back, and Carlos Chavez, a junior.
Both teams have been training hard and have been able to hold their own on the field. Most of the varsity team consists of returning players, however, there are a bunch of new athletes on the JV team. The JV team is mostly made up of freshmen and sophomores, while the Varsity team consists of juniors and seniors. Boy’s Soccer Senior Night is on Wednesday, February 1.
With the start of winter sports, the athletes and coaches are excited to see what’s in store for the development of the teams.
Written By: Alondra Ruiz, Sports Editor