PAGE A16, KEIZERTIMES, AUGUST 27, 2021
High hopes set in place for McNary boys soccer
S ccer
McNary junior midfielder Johann Singh Sanchez (8) was a second-team all-league performer for the Celtics last season.
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
After posting a 7-3-2 record during
the shortened spring season, McNary
boys soccer coach Miguel Camarena
is exhilarated for his team to be able to
play a full schedule this fall.
“It feels like we are alive. You can see
the smiles on the fi eld and all the emo-
tions that this sport brings,” Camarena
said. “We are excited to see more of a
normal season.”
Despite graduating their top scorer
in Eddie Martinez — who was a fi rst-team
all-league selection with nine goals and
11 assists on the year — the Celtics bring
back a lot of fi repower in the midfi eld.
Juniors Hudson Brunk, Johnny
Bravo and Johann Singh Sanchez all
received all-league recognition as soph-
omores last season and are expected
to be three of the top players in the
Mountain Valley Conference (MVC).
“I believe we will have the best mid-
fi elders in the league,” Camarena said.
Senior Max Baez and juniors Oscar
Chavez and Fisher Vanslyke also got
some minutes in the midfi eld last
season. With loads of talent and expe-
rience in one position group, Camarena
plans to have a handful of his midfi eld-
ers move up to forward during certain
times to increase goal-scoring chances.
“Any of our midfi elders could move
up and play forward and score more
goals for us,” Camarena said.
One forward that Camarena is set-
ting high expectations for is senior Axel
Zapien Sanchez, who is returning to the
soccer fi eld after playing football last
year.
“I’m hoping he can be a guy that will
FILE PHOTO, Keizertimes
score a lot of goals for us,” Camarena
said.
The Celtics had multi-goal games in
seven of their 14 contests last season,
but Camarena wants to put even more
of an emphasis this year on fi nishing
when they get opportunities.
“I'm not concerned if we are missing
goals, but I am concerned if we aren't
creating opportunities. But we need to
put a focus on fi nishing. We score a lot
of goals, but we also miss a lot of goals.
So it will be a focus of ours. Our coaches
will be putting in a lot of work with our
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