Men's soccer senior night
Maria Carrillo Soccer Team photos (Maya Ferrari/ The Puma Prensa)
Written By: Maya Ferrari, Opinion Editor
These last few months of school are beginning; however, this year's men's soccer season is just ending.
On Tuesday, February 12, 2025, Maria Carrillo High School's Men's Varsity Soccer team hosted their senior night against the Montgomery High School Vikings. Although this may sound like a normal soccer match, the Viking-Puma rivalry has been prevalent for years. These high-quality and well-coached teams playing against each other will always make for a good soccer game, evident in Tuesday’s game.
For Carrillo sports teams, senior night is a special game that’s highlighted to represent the seniors on the team, and their approaching end in the program. This usually means that all the seniors will be on the starting lineup for that game. Although this might cause some to worry, as the usual star players might be benched, it actually generated great success for the Pumas. For example, the first goal scored in the game was strategically placed by senior Gabriel Murphy, who went in for the rebound after the ball was tossed just outside the crowded opposing box.
Unfortunately, the Vikings scored two goals in the first half, leaving a score of 1-2 at halftime. The Pumas did not back down from this challenge and played a competitive and ambitious second half. They scored their second goal with only 15 minutes remaining in the game. This goal originated from an amazing corner kick served by senior Maica Rivas and a deflected kick from the Montgomery Vikings. The night ended in a tie game, the Pumas working hard to fight the Vikings.
Carson Hubenette, a senior on the MCHS team, describes his experience this year as “very different" from previous years. He has to step into a leadership role and practice efficient communication with his teammates and coaches. Being in a high school setting, experience goes a long way. Since these seniors are most familiar with the style of play and competition found in MCHS soccer, they are trusted to help encourage their teammates to learn to adapt to this different type of game. “High school soccer can be a lot more nerve racking,” explains Hubenette. “If you haven't played in front of that many people from your school, or felt the pressure of wanting to bring a certain reputation to your school, it becomes a lot mentally.”
What people may not understand is how teams can differ after every year, when the senior class graduates and the new freshman class comes in. Rivas explains that because of this, this season has been slightly “challenging because [they] lost a lot of seniors and have had to adapt to a new group.” Despite this, highlights that their team has the same passion for winning as they always have, which makes the adjustment so much easier.
Rodrigo Rojas, another player, explains that his senior season is “so nostalgic” and that he has learned to “take in the moments and focus on being happy.” As a leader on the team, he emphasizes team bonding because “the best performances come when [the team is] hard on each other.”
Rivas, Hubenette, and Rojas recall the same favorite memory of the team: playing in the NCS playoffs last year. Although they didn't win, making it to the state championship remained a memorable part of their high school experiences.
Even though he has taken on a lot of responsibility, as have all the seniors on the MCHS men's soccer team, Hubenette describes this year as tremendous, and he is sad to be leaving all the “smiling and laughing on the field” after the season's end. “Senior year is hard because it’s the last year most of us will be playing soccer,” Hubenette explains. “But it is also the most rewarding and valuable experience we have.”