THS soccer goal: Make playoffs
Tharptown’s boy’s soccer team enters the season with a clear goal: make the playoffs in one of the state’s toughest districts.
Coach Darrel Baker said the team’s strength comes from its unity rather than individual stars.
“We don’t really have a lot of standout players. We just play together as a team,” he said.
On offense, he highlighted Alex Tejada for his strong leg, along with Ricardo Santibanez, Rolando Solis, and young standout Emanuel Campos.
“Scoring comes from all over. It’s not like some other teams that rely on two leading scorers. All of ours is evenly distributed,” Baker said.
Defense has been anchored by Fredy Orellana, who Baker called “probably the best defender I’ve seen come through in two or three years.”
Orellana recently suffered a fractured hip, but the rest of the back line continues to play with cohesion.
Baker said the team’s success is built on hard work.
“The varsity boys spend a lot of time outside of school, during the summer and elsewhere, playing ball. That’s why they develop and become great players,” he said.
