The Boys Varsity Soccer Team has made a huge comeback from the start of the season, pulling back a League-leading 3-1-4 record and beating La Jolla High to take the League Championship, and made it to the second round of CIF play.

   Second-Year Head Coach Chris Tolles is once again working magic along with the two attacking standouts,  Junior Mohammed Hassan and Sophomore Jack Amos, who netted nine goals each this  season. Tolles said, “There is always a chance a team can have a let down following a very successful season like we had last year, winning League and a [Division 3] CIF title. I figured we could struggle to find our way after losing 11 seniors, eight of which were starters.”

   Tolles continued, “A League title is always a goal for me and we put ourselves in a position to win it again.” Hassan echoed his notion and added, “We lost a lot of seniors last year, but we were able to come together as a team and perform very well.”

    The team also benefited from great chemistry between the players. “Because we are all good friends off the field as well as on, we are able to be on the same page when we are playing on the field,” said Hassan. He then added, “Our seniors and captains have also contributed great leadership to our team, and we have benefitted from that greatly.” Amos also shared how comradery helps the team and said, “The team got better by getting to know one another each and every day and learning how each of us play.”

  Every season has its highlights, and this year two of those moments included a 3-2 comeback win at home against Hoover High, where Amos scored twice and assisted Hassan once in route to pulling the victory out. The other was a 3-3 draw

against San Diego High, where the Cents were down 3-1, scored once to have them down by one, then scored a penalty to make it even. Finally, in the closing seconds of the game they were able to score the game-winning point, only to have it called back on an offsides call by the referee.

   Despite the team being deprived of the win, the game was a display of their tenacity and athleticism. Tolles added, “The ending to that game was completely wild, and I have never seen or been a part of something like that before. I was very proud of how the boys fought back so hard and I was very disappointed that they were robbed of the victory.”

  Although scoring goals is important to any team, there are many other aspects to the game. Tolles noted Seniors Alex Densert, Paolo Santiago, Christian Velediaz, and Mark Fermin as players that contribute to the team’s winning record in a multitude of ways. “These are some players who have really stood out and made great contributions to our team,” said Tolles.

   Tolles was also keen to share his optimistic outlook on the soccer program, stating, “The future looks very bright. The freshman and sophomore classes are very strong and I’m looking for them to contribute heavily next season. It will not be easy replacing our seniors, but I am hoping the underclassmen can step up for us.”