Selflessness and teamwork are often celebrated elements in sports, especially in the 'beautiful game'. Pursuing your own goals can be beneficial in certain situations, but sometimes it's simply satisfying to help those around you succeed.
It is very rare to find a player like the 2024 Women's Soccer Super Centex Player of the Year who has achieved both. La Vega head soccer coach Eric Ramirez did not officially name a captain to this year's team, but there is no doubt that senior striker Angelina Montelongo has been, and always will be, an outstanding leader for the Lady Pirates. There is no room for this.
“When I met Angie as a sophomore, the first year I took over the program, I knew she had the potential to be a leader, a captain, and that she was going to be the type of player who would score regardless. “About where we put her,'' Ramirez said. “What stood out to me about Angie was her work ethic. The kid shows up to every practice, she shows up on time. She trains at 6 a.m., gets out of bed and goes cross country. It's tough to come and then play soccer, but Angie's dedication to coming here every day exemplified her leadership.”
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Montelongo's passion for soccer was evident in other areas as well. In addition to running cross country, she is also taking college classes and will earn her associate's degree at McLennan Community College this summer. She hopes to move on to college soccer after that.
“When I first entered high school, I felt like I wanted to work for my parents and get good grades, but cross country and soccer pushed me even more. ,” Montelongo said. “If I can do well and improve in other sports, that will only help me in the future and that was my whole mindset.”
Montelongo scored 42 goals for La Vega and also had 31 assists. The senior said he was happy to see his teammates score on the balls he crossed.
Montelongo said of his Super Centex teammate: “Sure, I want goals myself, but with Sidney (Campos) here, Sidney is really good.” “Sydney was always there when I crossed the ball. I feel like that helped her a lot and I was able to help her score, so the whole team was happy. Ta.”
Not only did Montelongo win the Super Centex Player of the Year award, but her fellow forward Campos, a sophomore, was also named the Super Centex Newcomer of the Year.
La Vega has come a long way for a program that won just one district game in Montelongo's first year. The Lady Pirates finished second in District 23-4A behind Lorena and made the playoffs for the second straight season.
Ramirez said the recognition is indicative of the team's trajectory over the past four seasons.
“I think it's a great honor just because we have such talented players in this area, and I don't know if we'll be considered a soccer powerhouse or a soccer school as far as La Vega is concerned,” Ramirez said. Told. “But I think coaches in the area who watched these kids play understand why they were able to win (the award) probably more than any one player.
“Not only because of their performance, but because the impact they had on our soccer team could be on someone else's team as well. For two of our most senior players, this is a huge deal for La Vega soccer. It's an honor. I think it gives the kids some motivation and something to do moving forward.”
Newcomer of the Year: Sidney Campos (La Vega)
To step onto the pitch as a first-year player and score 36 goals, even though you have never played soccer in your life, is unfathomable and unprecedented. But as a softball player, Sidney Campos already had the necessary athleticism and stamina. All she needed was a little guidance from her on the job.
“There was one game where I gave them the scouting report and said, 'Here's how we can score,'” Ramirez said. “She actually did what was asked of her and intercepted the ball six yards from the goal and put it in the goal. It was a useful goal.”
Campos had to grow through a learning curve, acquiring tactical skills and positional knowledge. Who would have thought she would score 36 goals in a season? The Lady Pirates lost to Bay City in the playoffs, but La Vega's late-season change was a major blow after she missed the previous game with an injury. Brought.
“If we had put her in the second round of the playoffs, I think it would have been a different outcome,” Ramirez said. “From day one, when you have a kid who wants to play soccer, she's fast, she tries hard, but she doesn't know what to do, until the end of her first year of soccer, she scores a lot of goals. “I can raise her until she's ready.” Goal… She learned a lot. ”
Campos decided to join the team after watching his cousins play. Her soft-spoken personality pushed herself out of her comfort zone.
“Honestly, it was really scary,” Campos said. “I was like, 'I have to do good. I need to show coach that I can do good.' I tried to push myself and show him. Other than that, it was really well done and I really enjoyed it. ”
Montelongo and coach Ramirez will be transferring from La Vega, leaving Campos and fellow freshman forward Victoria Baez to carry the La Vega soccer torch.
“I hope she wins (Player of the Year) next year or next year,” Montelongo said. “Her or Vicki. I know they've improved a lot. Especially Sydney coming this year, they've been really good. … As long as the whole team puts in the effort, that's all that really matters.”
Coach of the Year: Natalie Guitierrez, University
It's been four years since I trusted the process of Super Centex Women's Soccer Coach of the Year, University High School's Natalie Gutierrez. After Mike Chapman's death, Gutierrez and her staff took over the women's program and worked to restore prestige to the Lady Trojans.
In the 2023 season, the university had a record of 12 wins, 5 losses, and 3 losses, and did not record any wins, but in 2024, they will advance to the playoffs with an overall record of 12 wins, 5 losses, and 3 draws, and a district record of 7 wins, 4 wins, and 3 losses. , showed a major turnaround.
“Our motto for the last four or five years has been, ‘Trust the process,’ and I think that’s exactly what’s happening,” Gutierrez said. “I have a great coaching staff. My assistant coach is actually my sister-in-law, so it's an honor to work with her. It's been really clean. We also have Nicole Aguilar joining us this year. She was really helpful in helping our JV team and it allowed us to put a lot of focus on the varsity team.”
The university practiced especially hard during the offseason after a 12-loss campaign. The Lady Trojans played 7-on-7 in the university's own summer league and practiced as much as possible in the weight room. Conditioning and team chemistry were fundamental to the team's goal of reaching the postseason.
The Lady Trojans played some of the elite teams in the non-district area, including Lorena, Robinson and La Vega, and came away with solid wins. Although there were many close games in the early part of the district game, the university fought strong in the second half and fell to a strong A&M unified team in the bi-district playoffs.
The Lady Trojans will say goodbye to impact players like senior forward Emily Guerrero, who had 26 goals and 12 assists, and Aviana Gutierrez, who was named district goaltender of the year. It will likely bring back a lot of talent, including .
As for Coach Gutierrez, she said she feels supported to continue growing the program.
“When I took over the program, I knew I had a big job following Mike Chapman,” Gutierrez said. “I knew it would be hard at first and I doubted myself. But I had a really great support system.
“I knew I just wanted to make the girls program better and make it something that the girls were proud to be a part of.As someone who was part of this program in high school, I wanted them to feel that same sense of pride in being a part of our football program.”
