For some of them it was the end. For some of them it’s just the beginning. Another season of highschool soccer has ended with no shortage of impressive performances and good memories.

5th best soccer team in the country. 4th best team in the state. District champions. Regional champions. 15 wins. 50 accumulated goals. Our boys soccer team has had a hell of a season.

Despite the heartbreak of losing the state semifinals on February 29, we can look back at the amazing games the boys brought us and the amount of times the chant “alea tiki taka” was heard on our field.Perhaps the most memorable game of the season was the regional finals that took place February 21 against Cypress Bay. A game that at first seemed bleak thanks to Rafael Piazzi’s first half goal. However, the change in momentum once the second half began was what won us the regional title. Yitzhak’s equalizing header with just two minutes left on the clock, followed by a play in which he won the fight for the ball and shot it from over the left wing, placing it above Cypress goalkeeper Marcus Stout just under the crossbar. Concluding our game was Escalona’s goal in the second half of overtime and Sammuel Cardona’s very notorious “Man of the Match” performance to give us our 4th consecutive regional trophy. The stands were buzzing with excitement from friends and family of the players; among them some class of 2023’s varsity players and some of 2022’s state champs.

Our season started November 7th, with a hattrick by debuting center attacking midfielder, captain, and season long top goal scorer, Yitzhak Calatrava, scoring two penalties and a header. There was our 6-2 win against Mater with goals by Nicholas “Parce” Fuentes, Mao Diaz, Daniel Albertos, Ronny Martin and Sebastian Barazarte; the equalizing banger that was Gabriel Escalona‘s free kick on December 5th against Columbus; and Nicholas Orejuela‘s goal against St. Thomas from 10 yards out.

The Belen game, which was an away game, was one of their best despite the weather– a win accredited to Yitzhak and Rico’s goals after our captain’s attempted bicycle kick in the rain was stopped, displaying skill regardless.

Coach Pamela McDonald‘s methods, once consisting of the infamous mile under 6 run, now are made up of field drills and weight training, and prioritize tactics, progression, and focus. Employing a 3-5-2 and a consistent defense for most of the season, she’s a nationally recognized coach for a reason. After every game, she gave the boys a pep talk to remind them of how they can keep improving and celebrate the wins– living up to her nickname of “Pep”, a tribute to infamous European football coach Josep Guardiola. With Coach Gross’, CoachChristian “Crami” Ramirez’s, and Coach Jorge “JJ” Gonzalez’s (last year’s varsity captain) help, the team kept up their winning streak to the very end.

This year we had a new selection of seniors from the class of 2024: goalkeepers Alessandro Caminiti, Yandel Vidal, and Santiago Galloti; defenders David Cifuentes, Marc Scarpelli, Sammuel Cardona, Juan Andres “Juanchi” Casique, and Nicolas Cuartas; midfielders Yitzhak Calatrava, Daniel Albertos and Carlos Jimenez; and forwards Johanfre Moreno, Sebastian Barazarte and Ronny Martin.

It might be exaggerated to think of something as deep as legacy when you’re a teenager in highschool. All that will be left of them will be the memories they leave behind in the minds of underclassmen on the team and the teachers, such as science teacher Mr. Cabreriza. The impact of their presence was their legacy, and they gave us one of the closest teams Doral has had.

“Family Forever” – Jose Lazarro on the team via Instagram.