Blue Devil JV Boys’ Soccer Displays Potential

Huntington High School’s junior varsity boys’ soccer team kept pace with its opponents this past fall, finishing 4-4 in league play at 7-8 overall.

Coached by Carlos Rivera and captained by Michael Tucker, Massimiliano Terrado, Jayson Chavez and Jesse Perez, the 25 player squad’s 6-1 win over Smithtown East was the highlight of the season. “The boys played their best game,” Rivera said. “After losing the first time we played them, we wanted to get a win against a strong opponent.”

The top players included freshmen Francesco Romero (8 goals), Ian Mitchell (3 goals; 6 assists) and Giankarlos Bracero (1 goal; 5 assists) and sophomores Jesse Perez (6 goals; 2 assists) and Michael Tucker (2 goals; 4 assists).

“Francesco Romero can shoot with his right and left foot, which makes him dangerous in the box,” Rivera said. “Giankarlos Bracero’s passing ability is one of this many qualities that made him stand out. Jesse Perez is a natural leader bon and off the field. Michael Tucker is another leader on the field. His work ethic is unmatched. He is the piece that kept the midfield together. Ian Mitchell is a very skilled player. He can be a very influential player.”

Angel Herrea was one of the most improved players. “He works very hard at practice, which made him a starter within a few games,” Rivera said.

Huntington’s goalkeeping corps was solid, too. “Jesson Guandique and Jean Carlos Murillo had to compete for a starting spot in goal,” Rivera said. “Both keepers worked very hard and came up with some huge saves.”

The team improved over the course of the season. “The players worked very hard and never gave up,” Rivera said. “This team was full of talented players. Our defense kept us in many close games. Jayson Chavez, Jordan Aguilar and Nicolas Cuadra were key to getting some of our wins. I believe Huntington has something special in the years to come. I believe we will improve next year.”