by MOSES LEO III
Lehman High School senior forward Eli Guajardo took one more step forward in his career, as he signed a letter of intent to play soccer with Huston Tillotson University in Austin.
Guajardo completed a remarkable senior campaign, helping the team reach the third round of the playoffs and winning the first team district championship in school history.
For Lobos head coach Jay Sansom, Guajardo was instrumental in keeping the team focused and on track.
“After last year, we could have been complacent. However, our motto was to keep moving forward. Eli personified that motto,” Sansom said. “(Eli) helped us achieve that. Success brings success. His success was on the field.”
Sansom continued to praise the work of his senior forward, mostly Guajardo’s ability to work alongside freshman forward Diego Garcia.
“Eli shared his accomplishments with Diego (Garcia); their complimentary attack set records,”
Sansom said. “They were out there to have fun playing the game.”
Guajardo showed quiet poise during the May 13 ceremony. But his ear-to-ear smile throughout the ceremony revealed his excitement under the surface.
“I’m excited for today,” said Guajardo.
However, the senior understood that reaching this level means he must progress as an athlete to truly succeed.
“My goal at Huston Tillotson is to try to get a starting spot on the team,” he said. “I just have to keep working hard.”
In addition to making the starting 11, Guajardo aims to grow both on and off the field.
“I also want to pass all of my classes and to stay on track (to get my degree),” Guajardo said. “On the field, I want to get bigger, faster and stronger, both mentally and physically.”
Also in attendance were Huston Tillotson head coach Marco Gutierrez and assistant coaches Joshua Reyes and Cesar Silva. Guajardo’s determined aggressiveness on the pitch drew the interest of the Rams head coach.
“Eli has the height to play forward at the college level,” Gutierrez said. “His ability to hold the ball and work off of people are great assets. His ability to score goals is also impressive; scoring 24 to 25 goals is tremendous.”
As Guajardo readies himself for the next level, he looked back at the Lobos’ successful season.
“We had a great team this season. All of the games we played were really intense,” Guajardo said. “It truly was a team effort this year. I am grateful for the experiences that have happened.”
