R-JENERATION: Legacy High School soccer champs reflect on success

The members of Legacy High School's boys soccer team are not your typical jocks.

Even after winning two consecutive state championships, they remain humble. Seniors will graduate knowing the legacy will continue.

As the seniors' last season together comes to an end, they reflect on their final championship run.

It was a chilly Saturday afternoon at Reno's Damonte Ranch High School. Legacy students filled the bleachers after an eight-hour road trip from Las Vegas, but spirit was in the air.

"I was really surprised how many people went to Reno just to cheer our team on," Legacy student Andrea David said. "Even with the very cold weather and long road trip, I had fun being with my friends on a minivacation and witnessing our varsity boys' soccer team take home another state flag."

As the whistle blew and the battle for the state championship began, the players said they had high hopes.

"I didn't really have any doubts in us," said junior midfielder Antonio Velazquez. "I just knew that we couldn't get lazy, we couldn't get confident, and if we played our game, we could basically beat any team. If we play our game, Legacy soccer, no one can beat us."

The game's turning point came when Legacy took the lead and maintained it until the team claimed victory as back-to-back state champions.

"In the 16th minute we took the lead and then a minute after we had 2-0," senior midfielder Brandon Candelero said. "To start the second half, Jorge Gonzalez (senior, forward and midfield) got another goal and we basically dominated from then on."

The victory was a shared experience for the team but it held even more importance for seniors who were graduating with the successful title.

"The experience was better than the first time we won mostly because it was our senior year, so it felt good," said Eric Bojado, senior, team captain, midfielder and defender. "I don't know, it just feels great.

"We've seen how the team has grown. We started off from not qualifying into playoffs, to coming back and taking state two years in a row," he added.

The experience of winning another year was meaningful to both players and coaches.

"(The championships) were both awesome, just really special," head coach Jose Gomez said. "The first is always a good one because no one (at Legacy) has ever done it before, and the second one is special because of the way you did it. The kids that are new to the program come in and take over what we believe in the program, and just getting everyone on the same page, this second year was an experience,"

Each year, when a new season and intramural practices start, the team sets three goals: division, regionals and state championship. Whether the team attains those goals is determined by its performance during the season.

"We told the players last year was last year; this is a new year you have to accomplish, and our goal is to get to state and to win it," said Brennan Utt, an assistant coach." Last year's team was last year's team and has nothing to do with this year's team."

The team didn't face major struggles in the regular season. It lost only its first game. The players called it a "good loss" because it motivated them to do better throughout the season.

"We lost to (Southeast Career Technical Academy) and I think that was a wake-up call to us that nothing is going to be given on a silver platter to us and we need to step our game up, which we did," Candelero said.

When asked how the season was, Gomez quickly answered, "Awesome!"

"It's been up and down," he added. "There are moments when you ask yourself, 'Are we going to be able to get through this?' And when they start playing at a high level and playing at the potential that they are capable of and they're beating top-level teams in the state, it's enjoyable to watch. As far as their playoff run, basically we were just challenged in one game, which was the Palo (Verde) game. Other than that we basically just dominated the playoffs, which is a lot to say about the players that we have on this team."

At Legacy, the boys soccer team players are almost looked up to as celebrities. The team is respected by peers, with classmates giving players handshakes when they walk down the hallway, girls batting their eyelashes at them from afar, faculty congratulating them for their successes, assemblies to encourage and pump them up for their big games, and even a marquee that displays "State Champions 2010" in the front of the school.

However, the team tries to remain humble.

"I don't look at us as celebrities," Bojado said. "I think we're very humble people. All we do is play soccer because we love the sport, and if they have respect for us, then we just thank them."

The players agree that winning the state championship was an incredible experience, and with the year coming to an end, those who are not seniors plan to continue the legacy with more victories.

Gomez is already looking forward to the upcoming season.

"I'm just privileged to have the opportunity to coach these young players," he said. "I think we have players that want more and won't be satisfied with just two, so hopefully next year when we come back it's going to be coming out hard again."