Concord High Men's Soccer

The Concord High School Minutemen Men's Varsity team have qualified to participate in the North Coast Section (CIF) Winter Soccer Playoffs the past 5 consecutive years.  Unfortunately that streak will come to an end as the 2008-2009 season will be complete when the Minutemen play College Park in what will mark the final game for this year's squad.  Five consecutive years of participation in the NCS playoffs is a claim very few teams at Concord High can make and the coaching staff will look to rebuild next season and begin a new streak.

A journalist once said, "Sports do not build character. They reveal it." The 2008-2009 Concord High Men's Soccer season definitely revealed the character of the team and the coaching staff as they persevered despite seemingly never ending adversity.  The season started off in the wrong foot when before a single game had been played, the men's soccer team equipment lockers had been broken into and warm-ups, uniforms and team bags were found missing. Coming into the season the team had little to no funds at their immediate disposal so the missing apparel and equipment made the challenge of starting the season more challenging for the new Head Coach, with almost an entirely new team in the newly formed league.

From the first pre-season game, injuries to multiple starters on Varsity seemed to occur every game to the degree that as of the writing of this post 18 different formations were used for each of the 18 matches played.  Up to 10 JV players were called up throughout the season with about 5 of them filling roster spots.  The number of injuries were so great across the program that the Freshman program was cancelled so that the JV could field a team and have a few substitutes.

Considering only 4 players on the Varsity roster were 2nd year returning Varsity starters this season's team fielded a virtually new line up every game.  Everyone in the soccer coaching community knows that continuity in line-ups is a major key to success.  In addition to the lack of funding, missing equipment, missing uniforms and injuries, a total of five players on the Varsity roster dropped out of the program, including four Seniors, throughout the season due to personal reasons or ineligibility.  This included one player who simply walked out in the middle of a match without requesting permission to leave.

In the end, the coaching staff continued to work with those who stayed on the roster and game in and game out played with a never die attitude.  In the game of soccer, as in life, the coaching staff worked hard to move past the challenges and remain focused on the goal of making NCS playoffs.

Despite all efforts, the streak of consecutive NCS appearances has ended but the coaching staff is very proud of the young men who stayed true to their committments on the Varsity team and are still playing hard to the end of the season.  The coaching staff specially salutes the seven outgoing Seniors who are left standing on the squad:

#8 Daniel Araujo, Captain and only 2nd year Senior starter left

#7 Hugo Perez, Captain and 1st year Varsity starter

#20 Jose "Pelochin" Rubalcava, 1st year Varsity starter

#17 Shaun Kearney, 1st year Varsity starter

#0  Nick Hotting, 1st year Varsity starter

#9 Blake Hunter, 1st year Varsity substitute

#21 Erbin Ramirez, 1st year Varsity substitute

As a famous sports head coach once said best: "You are never a loser until you quit trying."  The 2008-2009 Concord High Men's Varsity team and coaching staff never quit trying and that is the character that was revealed.  The character of perseverance through adversity.  The coaching staff in due time will look forward to next season and re-build another team upon the character trait revealed by this year's squad.

A hearty thanks to all of the parents and students who came to support the Men's Soccer program - your presence at our games was greatly appreciated.

Tryouts for the 2009-2010 Winter season are scheduled to begin on Monday November 9th, 2009.  Word in the community is that there is a very good crop of Freshmen coming into Concord High next year.  And so we look forward with anticipation.