By Harry Kane and Tiago Moreira

The opportunity to play soccer in front of family, school members and excited crowds helps the player’s development as an extension of the classroom.

This year the theme for Boys Varsity Soccer is how to be an ideal team player. There are three directives for achieving this goal. Players must be smart, humble and hungry, explains Head Coach Tiago Moreira.

“It’s a soccer family; it’s beyond what’s on the field,” Moreira said.

So far this season, Highlanders Boys Varsity Soccer has won eight games, lost three and tied one.

Every team day they meet for breakfast at the school and talk about the upcoming game, Moreira explains. Having breakfast together allows the team players to engage and talk about what has been going well and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Coach Moreira explains that completing more passes means the Highlanders will have more ball possession. That usually translates into winning.

“They have been fantastic with ball possession, where they completed over 200 passes in most of the games that we won,” Moreira said.

Coach Moreira says that the team has done well this season during the second half in the games. Part of the reason the Highlanders have persevered during the second half is their good fitness, he explained. 

The Highlanders have five captains: Marco Hoxholli, Francisco Santos Landaverde, Imani Mixon Vazquez-Dodero, Anthony De Souza and Jose Lopez Mejia.

Seniors Landaverde and Mejia have been captains for three years, and they both have been on varsity for all four years. This is Vazquez-Dodero’s second year as captain.

Last year the team won the Greater Boston League Championship and they lost in the first round of the MIAA playoffs to Brockton.

“Their leadership is contagious, it’s admirable,” says Moreira.

One of the best players this year is Jose Guevara Alvarado, who has scored 14 goals.

“He is a perfect example of a player who has developed over the years…and you can see it is paying off this year,” Moreira said.

Gabriel Dos Reis has a total of 12 goals. Francisco Santos Landaverde has 8 assists for the year and Marco Hoxholli has 6 assists.

Goalkeeper Imani Mixon Vazquez-Dodero has also played on the field this year. That is not typical. Vazquez-Dodero and Rafic Miller share the goalkeeper position.

The team has a total of 44 goals so far this year.