No celebrations to end this season
The ninth in a series recognizing some of the state’s best spring high school athletes who had their seasons canceled by the coronavirus pandemic.
Irvin Sotero walked off the soccer field a winner the past two seasons, but there was no celebration when this season ended.
The Springdale senior soccer star didn’t rip off his jersey after his team’s 1-0 win against Broken Arrow, Okla., on March 10, which moved the Bulldogs to 4-1 on the season. Looking back, Sotero (5-7, 155 pounds) probably wishes he had.
The coronavirus pandemic ended Sotero’s senior season before it hardly started.
“I was pretty bummed out,” Sotero said. “I remember when we got back to the school, Coach [DJ] Beeler told us to be ready, stay in shape, and come back ready to kill it.”
The Arkansas Activities Association called for a twoweek suspension of play, then extended it again before finally deciding in April to completely end spring sports across the state.
Sotero said the news his Springdale soccer career was over was hard to digest.
“It hit me hard, but I’ve just kept working out,” he said. “Thankfully I am still going to be playing in college, so that has lifted me up and kept me motivated to stay in shape.”
Sotero signed a national letter of intent to play soccer at Central Baptist College in Conway starting in the fall.
Beeler said he has tried to keep the lost season in perspective, but even knowing the AAA made the right call did not make the outcome easier.
“It’s really difficult, honestly, because if you kind of look at it from a narrow point of view, you feel really bad for the kids and the fact that their season got cut short,” he said. “Not just with their season, but with all the things seniors go through like prom and graduation.
“But when you kind of step back, and think about people who have lost their jobs or maybe even lost a loved one, it really is hard to feel sorry for yourself or even the kids when it comes to something like playing sports.”
The 2019 season was a storybook ending for Springdale, and Sotero had a huge hand in that.
The Bulldogs earned a measure of redemption after a shocking loss the season before by winning the state championship last May at Razorback Field. The 3-0 win over Bryant capped an 18-2 season, and the Bulldogs finished ranked No. 9 in the country in the Maxpreps prep soccer poll.
“It was something that from day one when we started practicing, that was our goal, to do what we did not do the season before,” Sotero said. “Losing to Northside, that was hard to take. So when we got back and started the offseason,
we held each other accountable for practices, games, everything. We wanted that state championship so bad.”
Sotero scored the game’s first goal against Bryant and was named the MVP. He was also named to the All-State Tournament team as the Bulldogs defeated Conway 2-1, Bentonville 3-0 and Bryant 3-0 in the Class 6A tournament.
After the title match ended, Sotero celebrated with his teammates and classmates.
“This has been a dream for me ever since I was a little kid,” Sotero said after the match. “We had some doubters, and it just made us work hard and all that hard work paid off.”
Nearly two months since his season ended, Sotero tries to focus on
the positive.
“It’s honestly been kind of hard to process,” he said. “I do feel good that we were able to accomplish what we did last year. Even for our guys that are leaving and never got to play again in high school, they are leaving with an amazing experience from last year, and hopefully, they can hold onto that. They all got a state championship ring, so that gives me a little bit of comfort. But all in all, it’s been a little hard to wrap my head around.”
Beeler hopes the country will return to some normalcy soon and school will start on time in August.
“I’m hoping that when we get back in August, we can get back to our normal routine,” Beeler said. “I feel like it will be normal if we can attend school and have our normal offseason practices.
“It’s been a lost season. We’ll have to get back and wipe our hands clean and start over.”
Sotero plans to major in business administration at Central Baptist.
The attacking midfielder had other college offers, including Utah Valley in Provo, Utah. Ultimately, he and his parents agreed that staying closer to home was more important.
Sotero will continue to work out and practice by competing with his four younger sisters for goals in the backyard.
“It will feel amazing when I can finally play again,” he said. “I can’t wait.”