Boy’s Soccer makes playoffs with best record in school history
by Joao Lucas Argenta
After advancing to the district final, and the regional semi-final two seasons ago, the Bobcats failed to qualify for districts last season, with a record of 4-9-2. This season, they plan to make up for it; with high expectations and a new head coach, the West Broward boys soccer team lost 12 players from last year’s roster, and is looking forward to qualify to the district final with a much younger team and a new style of play.
“Our main goal is to win districts, but we’ve got to take one step at a time, so as of right now our goal is to qualify to districts,” coach Juan Estepa said. “We have a lot of talent on this team, a lot of junior and sophomore talent, and I believe we will be able to achieve our goal.”
On the first game of the season the Bobcats played a district game away from home against Piper High and were able to seal a solid win to begin the season, beating Piper by the score of 3-0, with two goals by senior striker Adolfo Nasato and one goal by senior left-wing Juan Sanchez. The next game against our biggest rival, Cypress Bay, the west broward boys soccer team played a tough game, but had many opportunities to take the lead, but failed to find the back of the net; after a rebound in the edge of the box, Cypress scored late in the first half, and managed to keep the clean sheet, winning the game by the score of 1-0.
“Cypress was the hardest game we have played so far, and facing them in the very beginning of the season definitely had an impact on us,” said coach Estepa, “we had more goal opportunities than them and maybe would have won the game if we played them later on.”
On the road against Everglades High, the Bobcats started the game well scoring two goals early in the first half, scored by senior right-wing Adam Accicilien and Adolfo Nasato, but could not manage to hold the score and conceded two goals late in the second half, tying the game against Everglades by the score of 2-2. On to the next game, the Bobcats lost an away game at Western High, but were able to bounce back beating South Plantation in a district game by the score of 1-0, and beating Cooper City by the score of 3-2.
Looking forward to keep the streak alive, the West Broward boys soccer team took on Saint Thomas away from home but were not able to achieve the victory and lost by a score of 2-0. In the next three games, the Bobcats went on a winning streak, beating Plantation with ease by the score of 5-0; against Coral Glade, the bobcats scored 2 goals in the first half, but saw the opposite team making a possible comeback conceding a goal early in the second half, and later on allowing them to tie the game with a free kick, but the bobcats were able to find the back of the net to seal the win by the score of 3-2, with two goals from senior striker Tyler Waxman, and one goal from freshman striker Alejandro Nasato, and followed to win the next game against Taravella by the score of 2-1.At home the Bobcats were upset by Boyd Anderson, losing by the score of 2-0, finishing 2018 with a record 7-3-1, placing third in the district.
On 2019 the West Broward boys soccer team started the year with the right foot facing off against McArthur and beating them by the score of 6-1, and engaging on a four game winning streak, defeating South Broward by 1-0, Hollywood hills by 3-2, and Flanagan by 5-2. Already qualified for the playoffs, the Bobcats still have three more games left on the season, but their main focus is to defeat Western and move on to the district final.
“Our main goal has always been the district final, now we are one game away from it,” senior captain midfielder Derek Rivera, “we failed to beat Western in the regular season, but I believe we will be able to beat them this time, we know how they play and we will not make the same mistakes this time.”