With the World Cup being left to the summer, students may wonder where to go for a taste of soccer or football. Thankfully, Citrus College’s men’s team can help students at the school get their fix.
The season started at the end of August with the team playing multiple friendlies before the first official game of the season. The team began with an emphatic 3-0 away win against Imperial Valley on August 29.
Since then, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag for the Owls, and they currently sit at a 5-7 (2-0) record. But despite this rough run of form, this is still a team with a lot of potential.
A major change going into the start of the season was the addition of new head coach Steve Jimenez. Jimenez had previously been an assistant coach for the Citrus women’s soccer team.
He was part of a coaching staff which saw a historic first ever playoff win in the program’s history. He had been in that position with the women’s team for the previous 8 seasons. He will be filling in the role previously held by Fred Bruce-Oliver, who coached the men’s team for 28 years prior. Coach Jimenez has an immense appreciation for the tenure of the man he replaces.
“We respect the history of where the program has been, and now our job is to be able to continue the traditions that Coach Fred built and then continue building even more.”
Jimenez is also far from the only new face associated with the program. According to the coach, only four of the 32 players on this year’s roster were with the team last year. However, Jimenez sees this as a positive.
“We want to be able to build a culture here and you know, having so many freshman we should be able to do that.”
The young core can absolutely be to the team’s advantage. Beyond Jimenez alone, the whole camp seems as though they are in on this mindset that is being instilled. While on paper this level of change could be viewed as a setback, the players don’t seem to be intimidated by it.
By fielding a team of mostly freshmen, more time is allowed for these players to grow closer and really get to know each other. Many of them are from high schools in and around the area, which also adds a level of familiarity amongst the squad.
This familiarity goes deeper than just the players too. Assistant coach Jose Rodriguez was formerly the head soccer coach at Sierra Vista High School, a position he filled for over thirty years. During his time coaching there, he coached Steve Jimenez, with whom he now coaches alongside. Having recently been at a local high school, Rodriguez has a level of familiarity both with his own players and likely, some of the ones they will face during the season’s duration.
As if that wasn’t enough of a coincidence, Rodriguez also coached against another one of the assistants on the team, coach Jason Schmelzeisen. Schmelzeisen is the longest tenured member of the men’s team, having been a part of it for over two decades. He had previously coached at Chaffey High School.
Get to know the team:
-Lucas Holguin:
-Number: #4
-Position: Left center back
-First year with team
-Favorite club/player: Real Madrid/Franz Beckenbauer or Sergio Ramos
-Richard Contreras
-Number: #9
-Position: Striker
-Second year with team
-Favorite club/player: Real Madrid/Cristiano Ronaldo
-Steven Clayton
-Number: #1
-Position: Goalkeeper
-First year with team
-Favorite club/player: Manchester City/Manuel Neuer
-Chase Chavez
-Number: #12
-Position: Center back, left back, right back
-First year with team
-Favorite club/player: Barcelona/Pedri
