The loud sound of silence surrounds the huddle. Every head looked up at the scoreboard.
This is their last chance.
Varsity boys soccer beat the Chisholm Trail Rangers on March 25 in Midland to advance to the Elite 8. At the next round, the Aztecs competed against the Americas Trailblazers on March 31 at SAC 2, but fell short 3-0. Still, school history was made under the leadership of head coach Oswaldo Saucedo and assistant coaches Omar Carmona and Marisela Seanez, who helped the boys become the first Aztecs to make it this far in the state playoffs in a true season to remember.
“I feel that the biggest challenge Americas presented was their hunger to beat us. We had beaten them every game for the last three years and, unfortunately, gave them their first win when it mattered the most,” senior center-back Elijah Pascale said.

Senior winger Saul Garcia experienced winning bi-district, area, and regional finals. Garcia had a hard time realizing it was the last moments of his high school career.
“The team knew it was going to be a hard game and that we had to go in strong and quick in order to maintain the level of soccer that we were playing at. I’m pretty disappointed with the result of the match knowing we were the better team and how much of a difference there could’ve been. However, I stand tall with my head up and ready for what’s next,” Garcia said.
For senior midfielder Matias Muniz, who suffered a knee injury this season, he was proud to see his team be the first to make it to the Elite 8 at El Dorado.

“The thoughts I had going through my mind in the final minutes was just knowing we had lost and that the team had given all they had. Despite the outcome, what I’m most proud of from the game is knowing we gave everything and that we had made history for El Dorado soccer,” Muniz said.
Pascale experienced winning against the Trailblazers two times this season, although this time around was much different.
“I’m proud of how this team came together as a family to make history. We all knew it was the end of the road for most of us and that we weren’t gonna be able to play with one another again. We had all promised one another that we would do everything in our power to make this last run as long as possible. We made school history and solidified our legacy,” Pascale said.
