As the Uni boys’ soccer teams ready themselves for their season opener on November 29 against the Gardena High Panthers, they know that they are playing for the last season under longtime Head Coach Gabriel Orozco. Orozco has coached at Uni since the 1988-89 season, but has been hampered recently by a surgically repaired right knee that leaves him unable to run with the teams. Assistant coach Carlos Gomez will take over the position next year, having been groomed by Orozco for two seasons.

Although the Wildcats have been struggling lately (they have missed the playoffs for three consecutive years), Orozco has had several very successful teams in the past. The Cats routinely won by five or more goals in the early 1990’s, and they made it to the City Finals in 2001.

“Those teams were very good,” said Orozco. “They were easy to motivate, had high skill, and they were determined to win. Most importantly, they had winning attitudes.”

Orozco is optimistic once again for his final season. The varsity is the best team that Uni has fielded in three years, and is led by captains Uriel Leon and Abraham “Guero” Felix. They have a very good chance of winning the Western Conference, and could conceivably go undefeated. The only possible problem is the lack of physical size (backup goalkeeper Rudy Mena, Jr. is the tallest on the team at six feet, but there is a considerable gap between him and the next tallest player).

“The varsity is a great, young team. They are determined and skilled. What they lack in size, they will make up for with their determination and heart,” predicted Orozco.

Orozco is also very happy with the two first-year underclassmen that made the varsity team. Freshman Mario Guerrero and sophomore Anthony Arguello were described by Orozco as being “the two strongest underclassmen that I have had in a long time.”

The junior varsity, which is anchored by captains Manuel Gochez and Franklin Cardona, can also expect a successful season. Although they have looked slightly disorganized in practice so far, they seem to be a good blend of young and returning talent that will likely help keep the program very competitive in the future.

“This is probably the strongest J.V. team that I have been a part of at Uni,” said goalkeeper Michael Kujawski, junior. “Once we settle down and if the offense does its job, I know that we will be very dangerous this year.”

Although Orozco’s legacy as a successful coach has already been secured, he still wants one more victorious season from both of his teams.

“I want to go out with a bang. I want my seniors to experience what it’s like to go to the playoffs, but mostly I just want to have fun.”