Worth the wait
It’s been a tough six years since the Demons last went to state, especially for the team’s seniors
This was the payoff Rob Quirk waited for three years to achieve. The Santa Fe High head boys soccer coach always saw the potential in what is now his senior class — a group of seven players who toiled during some rough years for the program. Even as the Demons struggled to compete in Class 6A and then 5A when the state returned to a five-classification system, Quirk never doubted that the group had the ability to not just compete, he felt the team was capable of making the state tournament — and maybe make a little bit of noise in the process.
“I always knew we could get there,” Quirk said. “For me and my assistant coach, we’ve been focused on the right thing, which is making sure these guys are working their hardest and having a good time while they’re doing it.”
Times are good for Santa Fe High as it embarks on its first postseason berth since 2012. The Demons (13-6) play at Clovis on Saturday in the 12-5 matchup of the Class 5A bracket. First touch is set for 2 p.m.
That is not to say doubt didn’t
creep into their minds along this journey. Quirk’s reservations came after last season, in which the Demons finished 7-11-1 but showed promise.
However, the promise was muted by the departures of a pair of juniors, Wylee Oellien and Danny Cain. Oellien was a part of the defensive anchor that Quirk expected to be the backbone of the team, while Cain was a strong midfielder. Quirk cited burnout as an issue. “Only a few people are able to persevere like our current seniors
have,” said Quirk, who is leaving after the season to move to Denver.
The loss of two players mean changing roles for some, and for Johnny Manzanares in particular. The senior moved from a forward spot to a defensive midfielder to help shore up the defense. It was a move Manzanares didn’t particularly like, but he understood the situation.
“I just saw that it would be better for the season to give support in the back,” Manzanares said. “If I was back there, I could help keep the score zero-zero.”
Manzanares teamed with Jorge Lozano to facilitate a stingy defense that allowed a tick more than one goal per match on the season (20 in 19 matches). However, Manzanares didn’t go to the back line willingly.
“I’m not gonna lie, I was kinda hurt,” Manzanares said. “I kept asking coach, ‘Can I play one half in the back and one in the front?’ ”
Cain’s absence was absorbed by freshman Michael Wissman, who has shown a devil-may-care attitude that grabbed the attention of the upperclassmen. He scored twice and had seven assists on the season.
“He doesn’t back down,” senior striker Matt Hunter said.
“His energy is amazing,” added Lozano, a sophomore.
Energy is at the forefront for Santa Fe High, because depth has been an issue over the years. While the Demons have 17 players, Quirk uses about four reserves on average. Quirk said he doesn’t have the luxury of having to find his best 20 varsity players out of a group of 40 because he usually has about 20 players try out for the varsity.
That means the bulk of the starting lineup plays the full 80 minutes. Prior seasons prepared the Demons for that, though.
“That’s Santa Fe soccer,” junior midfielder Sebastian Lopez said. “It’s never been where you have a lot of players on the bench.”
That issue was amplified in an Oct. 20 match at Albuquerque Manzano. Santa Fe High finished the match with four starters on the bench with injuries, including Manzanares and Lozano, and the Monarchs scored twice in the second half to tie the score at 2-all. They then won it in overtime for a loss that the Demons feared was permanently damaging to their postseason hopes.
“It was a call to action,” Lopez said. “For Capital [on Oct. 24], we had to look really deep within ourselves and see if we really wanted it this season.”
The resulting 2-0 win over the Jaguars — the first for Santa Fe High in six years — eased some nerves, but Quirk wanted to make sure his team finished strong.
When the Demons finished the season Oct. 27 at Albuquerque Rio Grande, Quirk took his team from the soccer pitch to a shaded patch of grass and had a “calm conversation” about the match.
“We took a bunch of breaths,” Quirk said. “I didn’t want them to feel that pressure.”
Oh, but it was there for the first 15 minutes, but the Demons scored twice in the first half to ease worried minds and went on to a 3-0 win that ultimately secured the 12th seed in the tournament.
Suddenly, a light bulb went off for the Demons this week. The intensity level at practice went up another notch and the seniors made it clear that this was an opportunity for the program to make a statement.
“I think we know we can beat any team out there,” Hunter said. “We understand that, but we have to prove it to people because we can lose to St. Michael’s. That means we can lose to anybody.”
But for one season, the Demons became the team Quirk always thought they could be.
It was worth the wait.