Leading the team to victory: Isaiah Garza-Bolton attempts to take his team back to CIF
From a young age, Isaiah Garza-Bolton, junior, was always playing sports – whether it was wrestling, or basketball, or soccer. In high school, he has devoted himself and excelled in one sport – soccer.
Playing soccer started at a young age for Garza-Bolton, when his mother signed him up for AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization). “I thought it was pretty cool when I tried it out, I started liking it and just kept going with it,” Garza-Bolton said.
From the get-go, Garza-Bolton had found something that he loved. Even while playing in AYSO he had plans for his future in the sport. “I . . . knew (playing in high school) was what I wanted to do,” he said.
And so far so good. Garza-Bolton started his high school soccer career on the J.V. team, but by the time playoffs came around, he was moved up to varsity. He is now co-captain as a junior.
Matt Schleich, senior, is the goalie on the team, and has played with Garza-Bolton during all of his time on varsity. “I think he is the best teammate that I have ever played with, his vision on the field is impeccable.” Schleich said.
Adam Brewin, senior, plays defense on the team, and agrees with Schleich. “He’s an extremely skilled player with an amazing touch that allows him to separate the ball from opponents or to push through the other team’s defense,” Brewin said.
Garza-Bolton was a member of the varsity soccer team when they qualified for CIF playoffs. In the first round, the team played San Luis Obispo and lost 2-0.
Despite the loss, Jaden Allen, senior, remembers Garza-Bolton’s skill during that game. “Last year he was the reason we won league and then, although we lost in the first round of CIF, he was one of the main reasons we did well,” Allen said.
The loss was not an easy one for Garza-Bolton and the team to handle. “It . . . took a toll on us, so we are really looking forward to going past that this year,” Garza-Bolton said.
This year, Garza-Bolton and the rest of the team hope to go forward and rebound from the loss. “This is one of the best group of guys that we’ve ever had for this school and I think we’re going (to) do pretty good this year and go pretty far, so it’s pretty exciting,” Garza-Bolton said.
The future is bright for Garza-Bolton, who was recently offered to play collegiate soccer at Navy. Although he has an offer, he continues to push himself in preparation for the next level. “Hopefully I can get to the college level and go past that, so we’ll see what happens,” Garza-Bolton said.
