In past seasons, losing six seniors off a varsity boys soccer team at Columbia High would lead to rebuilding talk for the subsequent season, but Coach Daniel Mangum’s program enjoyed a large turnout of players this spring. That, and the talent level of some of the younger players, bodes well for the Bruins’ future.
Columbia had a junior varsity program for the first time in a handful of years and the combination of experience gained from playing more matches together, and the Bruins’ state playoff varsity season, has the program pointed in the right direction.
Columbia (which finished at 9-7-1 and was the No. 3 seed from its half of District 4-1A) defeated Forks, 3-0, in district crossover play to advance to the Class 1A state playoffs. The Bruins lost 2-0 at Bridgeport High on May 17 in a play-in match to the state tournament. Bridgeport’s season ended two days later when it fell 4-0 to The Bush School, which went on to win the 1A state title.
Trico League coaches took notice of the Bruins’ talent, as well, honoring five players with all-league status.
Senior Oscar Robles Nines was selected goalie of the year by conference coaches, and senior teammate Osvaldo Guerrero-Cortez was a first-team forward. The Bruin youth movement starts with frosh first-team all-league forward, Ulices Huerta, who played on the front line alongside sophomore second-team all-league pick, Luke Miller. Junior Angel Michel was honorable mention, all-league.
Mangum had said before the season that his team’s expectations were to improve upon the 2021 season and make a run at the district and then state playoffs. The senior group was motivated in part by being able to play a full season (not one interrupted by the COVID pandemic).
Other 2022 Bruin seniors, who didn’t play in 2020 because of COVID, were: Lebron Munoz, Dylan Connely, Jackson Spadaro, and Leonardo Wilson.
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