STARKVILLE — Starkville High sophomore Juan Salazar knows he has a couple of more chances to be on a state championship soccer team.
However, for Salazar, now seems like as good a time as any to help bring the school its first-ever soccer state championship.
“We are so excited,” said Salazar, the squad’s left midfielder. “Everybody really has their hopes up that this is our year. Heck, why not?
“Really, we have been excited since the beginning of the year, because we knew we had so many seniors.
“That is why we want this really bad.”
Salazar and the Yellow Jackets play host to Hernando tonight for the North Mississippi Class 5A championship.
To reach this point, the Yellow Jackets knocked off Center Hill (4-0) and Oxford (4-2) in a pair of playoff victories.
In each win, Salazar netted a goal and for those efforts, he has been named this week’s Dispatch Prep Player of the Week.
“Juan may have played his best match Saturday, he was great,” Starkville coach Brian Bennett said. “The bigger the match, the better he has played this year.”
For Starkville, Saturday’s second-round playoff win at Oxford was especially sweet, since the Chargers had won a regular-season meeting between the two teams.
“It was a payback match for us and we wanted to get them back,” Salazar said. “We played really well in that match. Our ball-handling was good. Our teamwork was excellent. Everybody was really ready to play.
“From a confidence standpoint that win will really help us out going into the next match.”
Salazar, who has played soccer, since his childhood days feels like team unity has been the key to the Yellow Jackets’ success.
“We correct each other, and we help each other,” Salazar said. “The seniors have been great at helping us younger guys. Everybody on the team feels like they are a part of our success.
“It is easy to win when you have good players around you, who make you feel good about yourself.”
The Yellow Jackets (12-3) will be playing for a north state title for only the second time ever.
Salazar feels like the time is right now to bring home the state title.
“Soccer has always been in my blood,” Salazar said. “I love playing the game.
“I think everybody knows how close we are. Two more victories and we are state champions. That is really exciting.”
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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