Boys varsity soccer crushes San Leandro on senior night

The CVHS boys varsity soccer team won an incredible 7-0 victory against the San Leandro Pirates on senior night, Feb. 6. Despite a tumultuous and injury-ridden season, the Trojans’ win marked a spectacular senior send-off that clinched them a spot in the NCS playoffs.

“The game was a really good result,” commented coach Juan Escalante, who noted that all “16 seniors were able to play, get in, and fight for the same common goal.”

The evening started with a celebration of all senior players, joined by their friends and family on the field. They posed for pictures besides decorations as their team contributions, favorite memories, and post-high school plans were recognized. After a brief warm-up, the game started with lots of enthusiastic support in the stands.

“I think the turnout really got us what we needed to do,” reflected senior captain Alexander Alejandre Rosas. 

Unlike their last match against San Leandro, where they had narrowly pulled off a 3-2 win, the Trojans demonstrated considerable improvement and dominated the game from the start. Around ten minutes in, senior Alec Balica scored the first goal of the evening. This was followed by a goal by Rosas six minutes later; by the end of the first half, the Trojans were up 4-0.

Throughout the game, the Trojans maintained a positive atmosphere, which Rosas noted as his favorite part of the game: “Just celebrating with the guys after all of those goals and keeping the energy going throughout the entire game,” he reflected.

Six minutes into the second half, the Trojans earned yet another goal, scored by Balica, whom Escalante noted as one of the stand-out players this game.

Balica scored “a hat trick, getting three goals,” Escalante explained, and was also “very crucial to a lot of the assists that came in.” Still, he emphasized that the final score and victory were due to a whole team effort overall.

Indeed, over the season, the Trojans became a close-knit team that worked together cohesively on the field—which makes saying farewell difficult.

“We’re really like one big family,” reflected junior Ian Hsu. “I’ll really miss them, but hopefully next year we’ll fulfill their legacy really well.”

“It’s bittersweet, because of course you’d like more time with them,” added Escalante. However, he is also “excited for what they have in the future.”

Meanwhile, the seniors are counting on their younger teammates like Hsu to keep pushing the team once they’ve graduated.

“We have a really good set of underclassmen,” said Rosas. “I love every single one of them, and I know they’re going to carry it on for the following years; I’m really excited to see what they do.”

As the seniors embark on their next life adventures, they remain grateful for the memories that their time playing for CVHS provided them.

“As a senior,” concluded Balica. “Thank you, Castro Valley.”