After last year’s varsity boys’ soccer Valley Championship, the Selma High soccer team has begun its season with high expectations and unyielding goals.
The Bears faced the Mendota Aztecs in a non-conference match on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, and secured a win with a score of 2-0. The Bears then faced the Fowler Redcats on Tuesday, November 25th, 2025, and lost the non-conference match by a score of 1-0.
The past two games have shown different perspectives on the team’s levels of growth and endurance, according to senior and captain Alexis Pacheco, who has played on varsity for three years.
“After our first win of the season against Mendota, we showed that we can compete against high levels, and our loss against Fowler showed how we can compete in times we are exhausted playing back-to-back,” Pacheco expressed with an optimistic outlook.
Raziel Cabral, senior and captain who has played on varsity for two years, also explained that the loss to Fowler was due to a lack of energy from playing the day before against Mendota.
“The team was tired and had no urgency on and off the ball, which led us to a 1-0 loss, which isn’t bad, but as a team we know the performance we had was horrible,” Cabral explained enthusiastically. “But we learn from it and focus on the games ahead.”
The team has been working to overcome the difficult transition of classes within the team, but is nonetheless working towards the common goal of winning back-to-back Valley Championships.
“Coming from last year’s valley championship win, the loss of our seniors has impacted us, but the result will always be trusting in the next person to step up in those places and make this team better and better,” Pacheco stated.
With the pressure and expectation that comes with a Valley Championship title above them, the team is set and focused on meeting their goals with whatever it takes to win their league and another Valley ring. With the mindset formed towards these objectives, the team aims to learn and grow together.
“Our biggest aim is to make history and to experience that feeling once again as seniors and give the rest an amazing experience with us before we graduate,” Pacheco expressed.
