Members of the 2023-24 Seymour Middle School boys soccer team are, first row from left, Fernando Garcia, Fernando Solano, Cooper Tormoehlen, Myles Holycross, Tota Tsutsui, Fredy Martin, Toma Kajiwara and Deivi Miguel; second row from left, Jayden Hernandez, Ulice Mateo, Gozalo Hernandez, Wyatt Moore, Andres Miguel, Nicolas Matom, Eito Hanano and Homer Pacheco; third row from left, Angel Mendez, Mason Williams, Kenneth Rodriguez, Fredy Gaspar, Braylon Floyd, Kamron Williams, Martin Miguel and Jose Vazquez; fourth row from left, Fernando Barradas, Gavin Murphy, Kenneth Harris, Xavier Clemente, Pablo Sebastian, Philip Rennekamp, Tommy Lara and Michael LaSpina; and fifth row from left, assistant coach Levi Mora, Yasir Benitez and coach Luke Horton.
Photo by Maggie Fox
The Seymour Middle School boys soccer team had a season for the ages.
The Owls dominated throughout the 2023 season, compiling a 12-0-1 record and outscoring opponents 67-9.
Coach Luke Horton believes the team put it all together throughout the year, accepting their roles and flourishing to an outstanding record.
“Head to toe, this year was amazing. We had so much depth, not any one particular player that stood out,” Horton said.
“They all accepted their roles, and it was really cool,” he added. “I think our success had a lot to do with everyone accepting their roles and getting that experience with the sixth-graders last year. They all understood how I operated as a coach. It led to a smoother transition and a lot more success.”
Horton was asked about his favorite part about coaching the kids.
“I loved how goofy they were. They all made coaching fun for me,” Horton said. “They wanted to be out there on the field. The boys loving it made me love it even more. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience this season from the kids.”
Team members Gavin Murphy and Nicolas Matom spoke about their favorite part of soccer this season.
“My favorite part of playing soccer is the challenge and getting to play with my friends and teammates,” Murphy said. “The intensity is also an aspect that I enjoy.”
Murphy has been playing soccer since his youth and plans to continue as he progresses through middle and high school.
“I’ve been playing since I was young. My dad kind of got me into it,” he said. “I think we had a really good team this year. We worked together, had a good friendship and we had good coaches to help us.”
Matom was the team captain and led the team in goals and assists this season. He shared his favorite part of the sport and why he thinks the team had a lot of success this year.
“Soccer is fun to play. I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old,” Matom said. “We beat the teams that we didn’t beat last year, and I think we got a lot better. We had different players and good players who worked together.”
Matom said he intends to keep playing soccer and spoke about being named a captain.
“I enjoy helping other players and telling them what they need to do and where to be. I also enjoy helping others learn their positions on the field,” he said.
Assistant Principal and Athletic Director D.J. Henkle also spoke about the season for the boys.
“We had 75 boys try out for boys soccer this year. They improved a lot, putting it all together throughout the season,” Henkle said. “Coach Horton and coach (Levi) Mora did a good job, as well. They had a great season.”
Henkle said his favorite part about the kids was their passion to play the game.
“They just love playing. Whether it’s practice or a match, they give it their all,” he said. “We had a lot of students who didn’t have a sport. A lot of them decided to try it. Soccer showed this season that with hard work and a great group of kids, you can have a lot of success.”
Seymour will look to continue building on its success in 2024.