by Luis Hernandez, Managing Editor

The St. John Bosco High School soccer team, led by Coach David Sabet, wraps up their 2023-2024 season this afternoon. The Braves had a tough stretch in the Trinity League, but a can’t wait to get to work for next season.

The Brave’s current overall record is 8-12-3, with a Trinity League record of 0-7-2. While the record is different from what the team would like to see, each game has been very competitive, at times down to the final minutes.

The team feels proud of their current season, as they believe they have greatly improved from last season. The future looks bright, and the upperclassmen players on the team want the younger players to keep working hard to reach new heights.

“I tell the younger players to support their teammates because soccer is a team sport, and if they work together, it can help achieve the desired results,” said senior Ivan Moran. “I also encourage them to train during the weekends and offseason. These extra practices are very important.”

Although the Braves have hit some rough patches, a few players have stood out to help the team and shined individually. One of them is senior Marcos Velasco, who led the team in goals scored and was vital to the flow of the offense.

“I believe my success on offense has been based on the support I’ve had from my team on and off the field. They’ve given me the confidence to take my chances and score goals,” Marcos said.

The team’s schedule consists of many tough opponents like JSerra, who are ranked ninth in California, according to MaxPreps. Bosco played the Lions on January 19th and had the lead for the majority of the game, but unfortunately, the Lions scored in the final minutes of the game, resulting in a tie.

They do not back down from any tough challenges and believe they can beat anyone in front of them.

“The team stays united and strong, as we believe we can challenge any team no matter the records they may have. So through this confidence, we have grown as a team and as brothers, which only strengthens our performances on the field,” said Marcos.

The Braves played the “Team in Red” on Tuesday night and unfortunately could not secure the victory, losing 5-1 in one of the only blowout losses Bosco has suffered all season. Earlier in the season, Bosco played against the Monarchs and had a much better performance, losing 2-0.

The Brave’s defense was absolutely stellar in that game, holding the MaxPreps number four team in the nation to only two goals, an impressive feat since the “Team in Red” has been averaging four and a half goals per game.

This is not the only instance where the defense played excellent though. Throughout the whole season the Braves have only conceded more than two goals three times. This is due to goalie John Vargas, who is committed to California State University at Dominguez Hills.

“The strongest part of our game has been our defense. Even though we have struggled getting wins in the Trinity League this year, we have the least amount of goals allowed in the league,” said senior Mark Drewien.

The Braves feel confident in their final game, as the team has only improved while the season progressed. They believe that they have what it takes to take a Trinity League rival down.

“This team has many players that have been playing with each other for many years, and I feel like our brotherhood and team chemistry are going to make us formidable in this upcoming game,” Mark said.

Catch the Braves play their last game of the regular season against Orange Lutheran at home. Bosco played them earlier this year and lost a hard-fought battle, 1-0. Kick off is at 3:15pm.