‘Sangre,’ sweat and tears
Mendoza-Garmendia guides Clark through turbulence to first sectional title
Jesus Mendoza- Garmendia cemented his legacy at Clark.
The senior forever will be remembered as the captain of the program’s first sectional champion.
In Clark’s last academic year, with Hammond consolidating from four high schools to two.
In a season that nearly didn’t happen because of the coronavirus pandemic.
As a player who went from an inexperienced, undersized freshman forward to a finely tuned three-year starting defender.
And as a player nicknamed “Sangre” because each of his first two varsity games resulted in an injury — on a head-to-head collision on a cross and a blow to the nose — that left him bleeding.
Mendoza-Garmendia’s path has amazed coach Cristian Garcia, who described the 6-foot, 160-pounder as having “the best physique I’ve seen in a studentathlete in my five years” after diligently building his body.
“He’s someone who wasn’t expected to be in this position,” Garcia said. “But through hard work and commitment, he overcame all obstacles against him.”
The Pioneers (3-2) edged host Griffith 2-1 in a Class 2A sectional final, advancing to play NorthWood (13-3-3) in a Mishawaka Marian Regional semifinal on Saturday. NorthWood is ranked No. 8 in 2A in the state coaches poll.
“For all of us, winning the sectional was always our main goal,” Mendoza- Garmendia said. “Our last year, to walk out with the title in our hands, it’s special.”
Mendoza-Garmendia didn’t start playing competitively until he was a freshman. A “scrawny” 130 pounds and not the most talented player at the time, he didn’t exactly stand out. But Garcia saw potential as Mendoza-Garmendia followed the example of dedication and work ethic set by then-sophomore captain Rafael Maciel, who became the program’s single-season and career leader in assists.
“He had a drive like no other person on the team,” Garcia said of Mendoza- Garmendia. “Although he was inexperienced and less skillful than most of his teammates, he was better than the majority in one thing: the desire to grow and improve.”
That development process continued when Mendoza-Garmendia was a sophomore. He surprisingly emerged to fill a vacancy at central defender.
Garcia had eyed him for JV captain. But Mendoza-Garmendia eventually secured a spot next to then-senior captain Chris Perez.
Mendoza-Garmendia wasn’t thrilled about switching positions. But it meant starting on varsity, so he embraced it.
“It was a very challenging transition at first,” Mendoza-Garmendia said. “I never played defense before.
“I learned a lot under Chris. It turned out to be a hard but successful transition.”
As Mendoza-Garmendia continued to grow with his ability, comfort, confidence, voice and physical development, he was named a captain as a junior. During a season in which he earned all-conference honors, he took a secondary role behind Maciel, who helped groom him to take the mantle this season.
Mendoza-Garmendia’s leadership skills have been tested severely. Hammond schools canceled sports in early August and then reinstated them in mid- September in what he called a “shocking” late-season development.
“We were all heartbroken about the season being canceled,” Mendoza- Garmendia said. “We’d been working hard on conditioning and giving our all. When we found out we’d have the opportunity to compete once again, it’s made this season that much more satisfying.
“Fortunately, the team pushed everything aside to focus their lives on soccer.”
Clark didn’t play until the final week of the regular season and lost both of its games but then snagged three sectional wins last week.
“There was a lot negativity in the beginning of the season, as many team members took out their frustrations on each other when making errors on the field,” Garcia said. “Jesus was a key person in overturning the problem.
“I witnessed this kid’s transformation from a timid boy into a solid young man. It was a truly remarkable moment to see him lifting the sectional trophy.”
Mendoza-Gar men di a thanked his teammates.
“I’m so proud of my boys,” he said. “It hasn’t been an easy road. But they’ve been mature about everything, and I’m excited for the road to continue.”