As Winter sports start back up, the atmosphere at our school has received a notable buzz of excitement. The Boys Varsity Soccer team, in particular, is eager to begin their season with new leadership.
The team’s new head coach Franklin Joseph will be making his debut this season, along with Assistant Coach Steven. Joseph hails from South Africa and has a long experience with coaching. After earning his coaching certifications in South Africa, he served as program director and head coach for a 15/17 year old soccer organization for five years. Joseph also served as Head Coach at Providence College for 2 years, and as assistant coach at APU for over a year (APU.edu).
In his first winter season at GHS, Coach Joseph hopes to bring his experience to the GHS soccer program, and create a new environment for the team. “I would like to lay a foundation for the entire program, not just for this season. A foundation that promotes a team culture of positivity but also of hard work,” Joseph says.
In terms of the team’s performance, Joseph has also set high expectations. “The goal for this season is to compete really well, and to play the game in a way that establishes a high standard of technique and intensity.”
Captain Logan Rodriguez has been on varsity for all four years of high school, and also has high hopes for the season. “I’d hope we make it to CIF. Our team is good enough to make it, so that’s the goal this year. Doing well in the league would also be great.”
Captain Joshua Reyes has been on varsity all four years of high school, and reflects on the team’s positive atmosphere. “It’s fun being a captain, and getting to share my knowledge with the other guys, and getting to lead the group,” Reyes said. “I love being in that sort of family environment, being with the boys, making fun of them a bit. I really enjoy it.”
Things are looking good for the Varsity team, who have already won all of their first three pre-season games, beating Damien 4-3, Charter Oak 3-0, and Baldwin Park 4-1. The JV team has also shown promising success, defeating Charter Oak 5-0 and Baldwin Park 8-0. Coach Joseph has been especially impressed by the incoming freshman, including Maddox.
“Maddox is not the tallest of guys, but he’s extremely technical and gifted—definitely one of the surprises this season,” Joseph shares. “In the original plan, he wasn’t expected to get as many minutes, but he has started every pre-season game so far.”
Coach Joseph hopes that the team’s spirit of enthusiasm and hard work would spread throughout campus. “I think that the team is, first and foremost, a group of players that enjoy being with each other, that enjoys working hard, and I think it shows in our games, it shows in our practices. I would hope that the students at our school would see those things and that it would attract them to come and watch games and support us.”
With new leadership, a balanced team environment, and a growing list of wins under their belt, the Boys Soccer teams show promise at making this a very exciting and successful season.
Their next preseason game for both JV and Varsity is at Ayala on the 19th, show up and support! Follow @ghs_boys_soccer on Instagram for news about upcoming games, wins, notable plays, and to stay up to date with the team.
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