Jose Duarte the Queens Grant High School outstanding senior goalkeeper was selected to the All-Conference, All-Region and All-State 1A Soccer teams. He played in 21 games, a total of 1570 minutes, had 153 saves on 183 shots on goal, a 7.3 save to goal ratio, a 80% save percentage and a 1.755 GAA.
This was a fantastic year, said Jose who is very proud of his accomplishment, however, he owes it all to his teammates, Coach Mark Guercio, his brothers Emanuel and Heriberto including hard work during the off season, this summer and throughout the campaign.
The Stallions lost 10 seniors from last years team who made it to the third round of the state championships in the playoffs. It took sometime, but the four seniors were dedicated and committed to making their senior year a memorable experience. “We wanted to show leadership to the young players, so Jake, Luke Braswell, Jessie Bell and myself led by example to take the team to the second round of the state playoffs this year.” Also, “Micah Parker a sophomore played exceptionally well on the wing and we communicated often together,” said Jose.
We wanted to generate a Captain mentality and winning spirit through maintaining a positive mental attitude this entire season. So he put in the extra time and hours daily of practice to make himself better for the team, and prepare for the next level of competition.
Jose would like to thank his coaches which include Coach Guercio and Coach Tanner Long at Rocky River for being great mentors. Also, he would like to thank his family especially his parents who have given him support and guidance while showing him the lesson and rewards of hard work. ” I owe it all to them especially my dad who pushed me to pursue doing my absolute best in playing soccer to get ready for college competition, said Jose.
Jose also played for the Charlotte Eagles Youth Soccer Club and Coach Luke Helmuth who has been influential in his growth as a player and person.
Jose is having discussions with primarily Division 2 college programs which include Lenoir Rhyne, Mount Olive and Belmont Abbey. He is expecting a few other potential scholarship opportunities and will be looking at his options. He is a solid student with a 4.2 GPA and plans to major in Biomedical Engineering or Environmental Sciences.
