He heaves out a breath, a puff of air showing in the winter cold. Sweat freezes to his forehead and his teammate’s hands feel cold against his back when they come over to give him pats of praise. Senior Mateo Murillo looks around the soccer field and realizes the pain that comes with playing for the last year.
“I’m sad to leave everything behind,” Murillo said, “but I’m happy that I had the opportunity to be on varsity for all four years.”
Beating all of the odds, Murillo secured a seat on boys varsity soccer his freshman year. With a set mind and body, Coach Micheal Keel deemed him prepared for the hard work that comes with varsity.
“He was one of the few young athletes who were ready to play physically and mentally on Varsity his freshman year,” Keel said. “The team is definitely going to miss Mateo. He’s leaving the team better than he found it.”
Murillo played his final games with gladness in his heart for the team who took him in so young and shaped him to be the player he is now. Now, he leaves the sport he’s loved for all four years and hands it down to the next generation of players.
“My journey was full of ups and downs,” Murillo said. “But it’s been a fun journey with a lot of blood, sweat and tears.”
