In a preseason game against Granite Hills the Sultana High School boys soccer team fought hard and tied 1-1. 

Varsity Head Coach Paul Mog stated, “It was the first time our boys had a chance to play with our full squad for this season”. The coaches were able to watch their boys perform for the first time as a whole. 

Despite the fact that the first half was filled with ups and downs, the Sultans pushed through, although neither team scored.

In the second half, Edgar Melesio, a junior, scored a goal with an assist from freshman Jared Hernandez. Granite Hills immediately responded by scoring a goal. Melesio was selected as the Sultana soccer player of the game award. 

Giovanni Vitela, a junior, stated, “hard work is what wins games, we lacked playing as a team, and we did not stick to what we had been practicing”. Getting a draw was not the desired outcome but the Sultans battled and kept up with a strong team. 

Coach Mog also mentioned the boys can improve by, “Communicating, taking ownership of their position, and executing the task or game plan coaches set forth for each game”. Coach Mog sets the bar high to benefit our boys and make them better athletes. 

The Sultans performed against a solid team and limited Granite Hills to only score one goal. This intense game provided plenty of learning opportunities and experiences to prepare our boys for league matches and hopefully CIF matches.