Hart boys soccer’s Lawrence Luna is never short on motivation to score, but this season, that motivation took an interesting form.
“One of my friends … said if I score 20 goals on the season that he would buy me In-N-Out,” Luna said. “Liking food and all, I set myself that goal and I was able to reach 20 giving it all I could.”
Those 20 burger-fueled goals helped Luna earn the title of 2018 All-SCV Player of the Year.
“It means a lot,” said Luna. “I didn’t expect to get this, but one thing that I wanted was a CIF ring, but unfortunately we weren’t able to get that.”
Leading the Hart Indians on a deep playoff run into the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 semifinals, Luna was by far the most effective offensive threat on the field in his breakout sophomore year.
“It wasn’t easy at first. I was scared,” Luna said about playing varsity. “…But little by little (I got) used to it and getting pushed around (helped me learn) many ways of how to get away from defenders and how to get past by using my skill to get all the balls in the net.
Luna spoke about his favorite player and how he learns from the best.
“I’ve always been inspired by Christiano Ronaldo and all the top players,” he said. “I always look at videos before I go to sleep or right before games to learn how to hit the ball and concentrate and getting better.”
Planning to capitalize on this year’s success, Luna sees this team growing and getting better next year.
“I’m still looking for that CIF title, but first win league again and then just put it out there for everyone to know that we mean business and we are not an easy team to beat,” Luna said.
Playing with Real SoCal, a club team Luna has hopes that he can move on to the next level, play in college and ultimately land on a pro team.
“I want to thank my coaches and teammates because I know at times I might slack off, but they always tell me that when it hurts the most you’re supposed to work the hardest,” Luna said.”…Lastly, my parents because they support me through anything.”
First Team
Adam Rodriguez, Canyon, Senior
Getting hot midway through the season, Rodriguez finished as the Cowboys leading scorer with seven goals to go along with four assists. His direct free-kick against Valencia was key in earning Canyon a third-place finish in the Foothill League.
Joshua Roque, Canyon, Senior
Starting at a midfielder, Roque’s great knowledge of the game and passing skills was a catalyst for the Cowboy offense as he often connected with strikers with his long ball.
Jaden Nguyen, Hart, Senior
Battling through some injuries, Nguyen perseverance paid off as he finished the season with nine goals, with his best game coming against Pioneer Valley scoring three goals.
Dillon Vega, Hart, Senior
Scoring two goals for the Indians, Vega was one of the team’s most valuable players that stepped up in big-time games.
Darwin Herrera, Hart, Junior
A workhorse for the Indians, Herrera stepped up as one of the leaders of the team fighting for every loose ball and progressing with each game.
Jacob Tomaszewski, Hart, Senior
According to his coach, Tomaszewski was a “swiss army knife” as he was able to score three goals up top as a striker, as well as stop shots in between the goalposts.
Dylan Sullivan, Saugus, Junior
Scoring eight goals on the season, Sullivan led the team as a junior with his tenacity, going after every ball and playing both sides of the ball with passion.
Matt Sayers, Saugus, Senior
Finishing the season with six shutout games and stopping 81 shots, Sayers came up big time and time again for the Cents as he played with a fierce passion in net.
Ian Young, Valencia, Junior
At center-mid and one of the Vikings captains, Young stepped up to become one of the team’s leader with every game that he played.
Freddy Montes, West Ranch, Senior
The Wildcats center-midfielder, Montes’ engine never turned off, proving that he could lead the team by leaving it all out on the field doing whatever the team needed to get the win.
Taylor Kozlov, West Ranch Senior
Once Kozlov was named the starting left-back, he never let go of the reigns. Given the green-light, Kozlov’s speed and aggressiveness made him an offensive threat as a defender.
Second Team
David Hernandez, Canyon, Senior
Playing both sides of the ball, Hernandez finished the season with two goals and three assists, creating opportunities for himself and his teammates. Scoring the game-winner against Saugus, he helped clinch the Cowboys’ third-place finish in Foothill League play.
Robert Castro, Golden Valley, Junior
Winning the “golden boot” as well as the team’s MVP award, Castro was the Grizzlies’ all-around leader who led by example on the field and off it, earning a 4.0 GPA.
Emerson Chavarria, Golden Valley, Senior
In between the goal posts, Chavarria was a defensive leader and senior team captain who helped provide some overall experience as he made some huge saves along the year.
Johnny Saavedra, Golden Valley, Junior
Scoring four goals on the season, Saavedra was the glue that kept the Grizzlies going all year. Getting two teeth knocked out against Chatsworth, he came back and played harder in league play.
Jake Erazo, Hart, Senior
Trying to find playing time and battling injuries, Erazo stepped up as a defensive stalwart in the back line as he was able to read the game and the opponents’ offense.
Tanner Brown, Saugus, Senior
Sitting out half of Foothill League play due to injury, Brown was able to score two goals and dish out three assists as a center-midfielder.
Gonzalo Sanchez, Valencia, Senior
Playing every minute of every game, Sanchez was one of Valencia’s best marking backs and was arguably the team’s best player in terms of consistency.
Matt Lopez, Valencia, Sophomore
At midfielder, Lopez proved to be one of the team’s toughest players as a sophomore.
Jason Campagna, West Ranch, Senior
Every team needs that one stopper. At center-back, Campagna controlled the back line leading the Wildcats vocally and physically to a second-place finish in league play.
Anthony Lambrinidis, West Ranch, Sophomore
Joining the team as a freshman, Lambrinidis really stepped up this year winning almost every ball in the air transforming into an awesome “pitbull” defender.
Danny Paredes, West Ranch, Senior
Subbing into a game against Saugus down 2-1, Paredes really found his niche up top as a striker as his speed coupled with his talent to win the game and finish the year as the Wildcats leading scorer.
Honorable Mention
Canyon – Longino Valencia, junior
Golden Valley – Brian Romo, sophomore
Hart – Brandon Martinez, senior
Saugus – Frank Ornelas, junior
SCCS – T.J. Evans, sophomore
Trinity – Ben Wexler, junior
Valencia – Alexei DeVita, sophomore
West Ranch – Liam Hope, senior
