OAKWOOD — Johnson soccer booster club president Fany Arteaga said it didn't take them long to decide that something needed to be done.
"We wanted to show our appreciation for all the hard work and dedication the kids put into what they had accomplished," Arteaga said as she watched a few hundred people mingling with the Johnson players on Wednesday at The Dungeon to celebrate the program's third state championship, and the second of back-to-back titles, following last week's 4-2 win over Westminster in the Class 4A finals.
"A lot of these kids would practice after school, come to my house to eat, and then go back out to practice some more. Just to see that dedication at that age is just an awesome thing to see. Myself and Mary Zamora and some other people just started putting things together and here we are. It's just so fun to see the boys have this kind of recognition."
The team was introduced to the crowd holding the trophies for the 2022 (Class 5A) and 2023 titles. Then, a swarm of junior players stormed the field to play some one-on-one with some of their favorite players, run some quick drills, and take a photo with the entire varsity squad, coaches included.
Yael Herrera, an 11-year-old student at Myers Elementary, said it was an inspiring thing. And he was also there to see his favorite Johnson player.
"It feels good to be out here with the varsity boys. I want to play for Johnson one day so this motivates me to want to work hard to be able to have that chance," Herrera said. "I came to a lot of games and these guys were very good and I want to be like them. I also got to see my favorite player, Jorge Sandoval. I like watching him score goals."
The Knights graduate five key players from a group that went 66-5-2 in their four seasons. However, they also return six starters from the 2023 team and are expected to finish the season ranked No. 1 in the country in the final United Soccer Coaches High School poll, which is due out in June.
