CCS Coach of the Year REYES MENDOZA, SOLEDAD
The 2013-2014 soccer season ended on a somber note for Soledad as it lost to host Burlingame 2-1 in overtime.
The loss came in the CCS Division III semifinals, ending the Aztecs' season. It was especially painful since Soledad led 1-0 until the
final minute of regulation when the Panthers scored the equalizer.
But what happened before that game was near-perfection for the Aztecs and coach Reyes Mendoza. They entered the semis with a 19-0-2 record,
winning a Mission Trail Athletic League title along the way. For his efforts, Mendoza is the Central Coast Section Prep2Prep Coach of the Year.
"I knew this was a golden generation of soccer players and that we'd have a great team," Mendoza said. "I couldn't wait until they
got into high school."
Among Soledad's season accomplishments was the extension of a its home unbeaten record to three years.
"We were really firing on all cylinders this year and had a great soccer team," said Mendoza, who teaches at Soledad's Main Street Middle School.
"We didn't lose at home at all, and on the road it was about the same thing."
Injuries hindered Soledad against Burlingame, forcing Mendoza to use a makeshift lineup. He was also dismayed to have to play a lower-seed
Panther team on Burlingame's home field. Topping all that off, the Aztecs' bus broke down on the way to the Peninsula.
"It was a heartbreaker," he said of the Aztecs' season-ending loss. "We had a lot of obstacles to try to overcome. It was a tough bus ride
home. But we'll probably be just as good next year. It's a good generation of players."
Good players, led by a stellar coach in Mendoza, 35, who played at King City High and Hartnell College before eventually becoming a teacher.
Prior to Soledad, Mendoza coached at Greenfield High and for the Tornados club team where he trained many of his current players.
"He's excellent and one of the most structured coaches around with 100 percent attention and effort going toward the athletes," Soledad athletic
director Mel Kutcha said. "He's amazing and a complete asset to the school and the program. He's a great, great person."
Also considered: Nick Arellano, Mt Pleasant; Matt Schembri, Westmont; Rusty Millard, Los Gatos; Jeff Panos, Serra; Patrick Lowney, Bellarmine;
Steve Caldwell, The King's Academy; Jeff Turgeon, Half Moon Bay.
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