Individual district awards offer closure for unfinished boys soccer season

“Soccer to me is everything, my whole family has invested our lives in soccer with me playing at a high level, so it takes up most of our time. [The award] was a good reminder to me that my efforts didn't go unrecognized and it was good, and I felt my hard work had paid off. When I heard, I was kind of surprised at first but then I was very overjoyed; I just wanted to do my best for the team, so ...

“Soccer is really something I find peace in. When I’m playing on the pitch, a new form of energy really comes out of me. Not only does the adrenaline kick in, even before the game, there’s another form of excitement and eagerness that binds with it to create something that really makes me happy. Being a freshman and being recognized for a district award isn’t something I just brush off, but...

“We had a rough start in the beginning but we ended up coming out really strong. We had a six game win streak and we left off really good. I’m happy with what I got and I appreciate it; honestly, I didn’t know that it was coming to me. It was out of the blue, I was just grateful for it. Soccer is my life. Soccer for me is a really important part of my life and without it, I don’t know wher...

“Soccer means a lot to me because he spent my whole life playing soccer and training - it's kind of become a part of me. When I heard I got the honorable mention, I was a bit surprised and very excited because I really wasn't expecting it. I was just playing in order to help the team and make a difference on the field. At the beginning of the year I was in between the JV and varsity teams, so to...

“It’s great since I’m a freshman; a lot of guys don’t even make varsity as freshmen, so to get an award means a lot to me. I still have to learn to be humble, even though I did win this as a freshman. I want to win more as I go through high school, not just district awards, I want to go to state awards. It teaches me to be humble and appreciate what I have now, because who knows, next year so...

“Winning a district award definitely felt great and made me satisfied with all of the hours over the years that I have put into training. I was honestly pretty surprised and didn’t expect to get selected, but I'm happy that coaches throughout the district recognized my play. Coming into the season, I wasn't too focused on winning any individual awards. Soccer is a team sport and my eyes were s...

Razo did not respond to an interview request.

“Soccer means a lot for me, it’s the reason I wake up in the morning. When the coach told me I was 1st Team All-District, I was pretty happy. Being a sophomore goalkeeper in varsity is hard; I wasn’t expecting to be 1st Team All-District, and I was kind of surprised I won because there’s a lot of good goalkeepers in our district who are older.”

“Knowing my season is now over and that I am moving on makes me tear up. I will forever miss the memories I made on and off the field with my teammates. Being recognized for all my hard work during the season was very satisfying and it allows for me to have some closure for my last year of soccer. Last season, I had gotten Honorable Mention All-District so 1st Team All-District was definitely a g...

“Soccer means hard work and dedication. It takes mental and physical toughness to play the game and grind every single day. At the beginning of the season I wasn’t playing my best. I didn’t think I was going to get 1st team All-District but I changed my attitude and worked for it the second half of the season. My main goal was to get all state but I didn’t play up to my expectations. First te...

“Making 1st team two years in a row meant a lot for me, but I was blessed to have so many great players around me who constantly gave me the opportunities in the game to capitalize on. This award is just a product of my team’s combined effort to give me scoring opportunities as a forward. Playing on the field during district play with the goal of playoffs was the focus, and this award was a by-...

Blaas did not respond to an interview request.

“Soccer to me is everything; it's why I wake up. Soccer takes all my problems away for that hour or two hours. I was on varsity last year, and I saw you could get awards. I didn’t get any last year, so I told myself, I'm going to work hard and achieve one of those awards. When I heard it, I thought, ‘Goals you set for yourself you’ll achieve if you work hard enough.’ I worked my butt off...