[New post] Class of 2023 boys soccer players sign on to play Woodland Community College’s innagruial season
Carlos Guerrero posted: "As the Woodland Community College men's soccer team prepares for its inaugural season, the squad must find strong-minded recruits ready for the ups and downs and likely growing pains of a budding program. Luckily for the Eagles, five local Class of 202" Daily Democrat
As the Woodland Community College men's soccer team prepares for its inaugural season, the squad must find strong-minded recruits ready for the ups and downs and likely growing pains of a budding program.
Luckily for the Eagles, five local Class of 2023 graduates in Pioneer High School's Adrian Ramos Ramirez and Diego Hernandez, along with Esparto High School's Guillermo Avina and Jose Gomez and Wooodland High School Xavier Lara, are ready to take on that challenge.
Last month the two Patriots and various other Pioneer student-athletes signed on to play college sports at the next level during a signing day ceremony in the Pioneer High School cafeteria.
While others are heading further away, some elected to remain local as they take the next steps of their athletic careers.
During the winter sports season, the versatile Ramos Ramirez lined up across all three of the front attacking positions by playing left-wing, right-wing, and striker or center forward. That versatility, paired with his dribbling ability and aggressive pressing, proved to be an indispensable part of Pioneer head coach Eddie Hernandez's bench options.
"He was always willing to play wherever we had him, and he was effective," Hernandez said. "At the start of the year, he was very quiet, but as I got to know him, he came out of his shell. He was very reserved, but he opened up a lot more as he integrated. He was a pleasure to coach and a joy to have."
Hernandez mentioned he's glad Ramos Ramirez will have something to focus on outside of the grind of collegiate academic life.
"It's important to do some kind of activity outside of school that will keep you in the right mental space," Hernandez said. "It feels great that he'll be a part of the first team in the school's history, close to home and representing woodland. It's a good program for him to be in and be a part of that first class. It will be an experimental season for him, but they have a great coach in Andres Olmedo."
Diego Hernandez was, in a way, the opposite of Ramos Ramirez, as he did his work in the defensive phase of the game from both the left and right back spots.
"He is the defensive version of Adrian," Hernandez recalled. "He finds joy in defending. He is very quick too, and sometimes he will bring that speed. He can run up the field to do an overlap for our wingers and then promptly run back and defend just in case."
Pioneer High School's Adrian Ramos Ramirez signed on to play soccer at Woodland Community College last month during the school's signing day ceremony in the cafeteria. (Courtesy)
Hernandez mentiones that his defensive attitude and aggressiveness will fit in well at WCC with the rest of the Eagles' growing roster.
"With him, you know he won't be afraid to go into tackles, and if he loses the ball, you know hell go get it back," Hernandez said. "Everyone wants to score the goals, so it's nice when you have a guy that just wants to defend. I think he made a great choice for his development. He gets to play against older players and continue pursuing soccer."
Along with Esparto's Avina and Gomez and Woodland's Lara, Anthony Simmons will join the program from Davis High School along with Brandon Carabez from Pierce High School.
"I am beyond excited to have young players from the recent class of 2023 being part of the 25 players from the area having an opportunity to play collegiate soccer here at WCC," said WCC men's soccer coach Andres Olmedo. "I am proud to lead this team and the institution to its first season competing in the Bay Valley Conference."
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