GRANTS, N.M. – With the girls soccer season coming to a wrap here at GHS, that also means it’s time to start saying goodbyes to the senior players.
The GHS girls soccer team has four players that will be graduating this year.
The girls’ captain, and four-year player Sieana Salazar, is one of those graduating.
“I've been playing for a very long time, and I’m so sad it’s coming to an end,” Salazar said. “But I’m very glad for all the memories and people soccer has brought to me. My senior season has been one to remember and I wouldn’t have had it with any other team.”
Being on the team so long, the heartbreak is understandable, considering that the players have been a part of a team for their whole high school years.
Long time player Reilly Burress said, “I’m so grateful for soccer and all the girls on the team. I’m sad my season came to an end early but I’m so happy I was able to remain a member of the team and I’m so happy I was able to play for as long as I did.”
Burress tore her anterior cruciate ligament very early in the season, and was not able to play her senior year. She has since had the ligament surgically fixed and is on the way to recovery.
Another player who has been on the team for a long time is Tomie Barker. Although she is not technically a senior, it will be her last season with the team since she is graduating early. “Soccer has been a significant part of my life,” Barker said. “I’ve based most of my jobs, work, and school around soccer so I can have more fun with the sport. Since I’m cutting my year short and starting a new chapter in my life this season is bittersweet and I’m making the best of it with my teammates and the games.”
A player that’s new to soccer this year, but still made a major impact on the team, is Mercedez Martinez.
“Being on the team was so great and amazing,” Martinez said. “I made such good bonds and great, unforgettable memories.”
While it’s sad that the program will have to say goodbye to these players, it’s exciting to see what they will be doing for the next chapter of their lives. While the team won’t get to play with these players anymore, the impact these girls have made for this team will help the team to grow for years to come, according to head coach Shaun Sanchez.