Cleveland’s Legendre flying under the radar
Senior forward has a lot of goals, but no college offers
RIO RANCHO — This might be one of the stranger unsolved mysteries in high school soccer this year.
How does a player whose skill set was dynamic enough to get himself an invitation to train with the New Mexico United, and who even managed to work his way into a United match this year, have nary a single college offer on the eve of his final high school state tournament?
“He’s flying under their radar,” said Shaun Gill, coach of the Class 5A defending state champion Cleveland High School boys soccer team. “It’s to their detriment.”
Senior forward Gabriel Legendre will close his career sometime this week at the complex on the Santa Ana Pueblo.
He’s got 88 career goals with the Storm, 29 of them coming this season, which is second in 5A only to Las Cruces’ Gael Peña, who finished with 38.
If Legendre is not New Mexico’s best player, he’s at the forefront of the conversation. But as Cleveland opens its playoffs on Wednesday at 3 p.m. against Gadsden in the quarterfinals, Legendre has no plans, at least not yet, to put his
name to paper when the signing period begins on Nov. 13.
“I guess it’s just the college process,” he said matter-of-factly.
Eventually, he said, he plans to visit several schools, among them Wofford in South Carolina, plus Dayton University in Ohio and the University of Denver.
But no school, he said, has made him a scholarship offer.
That, he hinted, will work itself out. For now, a player who’s accomplished just about all there is to accomplish at this level hopes to take Cleveland to another state title this week.
“To be honest,” said his brother Nicholas, a sophomore with the Storm team, “I think the best trait about him is that he looks out for everyone else. He cares more about the team than himself, and that’s what makes him such a great soccer player.”
Legendre didn’t really start to play forward for Cleveland until his sophomore season. He scored 25 goals two seasons ago, and 32 more last year as the Storm beat Mayfield in the state final.
He caught the eye of the United last year, when Legendre was working out with the Albuquerque Sol. He couldn’t train with them last fall, as he had Cleveland and club commitments.
This year, however, he spent a good deal of his spring and summer training with the United players, who, Legendre said, took him under their collective wing.
“I was super excited. I was jumping up and down all over my house. I was going crazy,” he said. “It was a great experience.”
Legendre even got onto the pitch for a friendly against Cardiff City at the UNM Soccer Complex, playing about 15 minutes that night.
“It was amazing,” he said. “I thought I’d just be there, sit on the bench, which I was fine with. Then I saw my jersey hanging up in the locker room and I was thrilled. …
“When I got to the halfway line (late in the match), all my nerves went away. I got super pumped, super confident, and I went out there with no stress.”
Which is sort of what has defined his career as a goalscoring wizard for Cleveland.
“It’s a sixth sense,” he said. “You’re always aware of where the goal is. Growing up, it was hard for me. Because I never had that awareness.”
NOTES: As the second week of the state tournament begins on Wednesday, the one No. 1 seed garnering the most raves is Class 5A’s Albuquerque High boys.
The undefeated Bulldogs are ranked in the top 10 in the country by at least one entity. AHS is ranked No. 7 in the nation — and No. 1 in Region VIII — in the USA Today/United Soccer Coaches Super 25. Atrisco Heritage is No. 7 and Mayfield No. 11 in the regional list, which also includes California, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado and Idaho.
… In that same USA Today/ United Soccer Coaches poll, there are no New Mexico programs in the top 25 in the country. Volcano Vista is rated No. 8 and Cibola No. 13 in the regional poll.
… The New Mexico Activities Association is asking fans to heed a warning about traffic delays for those going through Bernalillo and U.S. 550 to reach the complex. They are asking fans to allot extra time to reach the fields.