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Championship season for El Portal soccer squad
soccer EP
Under the guidance of coaches Miguel Verduzco, back left, and Polo Rodriguez, back right, the El Portal Middle School soccer team – made up of sixth, seventh and eighth grade boys and girls – went undefeated during their season, 10-0, to earn the league championship. Photo By Danielle Berchtold

Completing an undefeated season – going 10-0 – the El Portal soccer team earned championship honors this year. Players come from all grade levels at the school, sixth, seventh and eighth, and it is a co-ed team. Coaches this year were Polo Rodriguez and Miguel Verduzco.

El Portal earned victories over Savage, Salida, Somerset, Ustach, and Cardozo middle schools, beating each opponent two times during the course of the season. Among the most notable wins were 12-1 and 13-2 over Ustach, along with a 7-0 shutout against Savage.

Players included Alejandro Velazquez, Henry Stacher, Alexis Velazquez, Rodrigo Aguilera, Autumn Borba, Mayson Bettencourt, Bradyn Caldwell and Aaron Melendez. Also, Roman Gonzalez, Angel Tinoco, Valentina Velazquez, Miguel Rodriguez, Aiden Yates, Luis Aguilera, Daniel Arevalo, Justin Trimble, Vasco Pimentel, and Diego Solano.