Jared Arredondo

Anybody perusing the early returns of the 2018-19 boys’ soccer season would have to work really hard to twist the Southwest Eagles’ first four games into a portrait of a glass half-empty.

As of this writing, the Eagles have a record of 3-0-1 — with wins over Lincoln, Mater Dei Catholic and Palm Desert, along with a tie against Hoover — and are looking like they have a real chance to be one of the Imperial Valley League’s pace-setters.

Strong starts are somewhat anomalous to the Eagles, who’ve put together strong IVL campaigns over the past two years, but have typically had trouble finding their footing at the gun.

In 2017-18, the Eagles lost their first five games and couldn’t buy a W until league play started in mid-December, which just goes to show how impressive their play has been so far this season.

One player who’s contributing at a high level is senior Jared Arredondo.

Arredondo — a versatile player who can slot in all over the pitch but is typically a midfielder — is one of the team’s three captains (the others are Diego Garcia and Sergio Silva), and his on-field leadership is just as valuable as his athletic feats.

His performances don’t always leap off the stat sheet, though they can — he scored twice in the Eagles’ 3-0 win over Mater Dei — but he’s always making an impact, particularly with his passing ability, which he considers his strongest skill.

He’s pleased with his team’s performance this year, acknowledging that past seasons have taken longer to orientate.