Storm soccer team prepares for upcoming season

If you hear head coach Shaun Gill say, “On the hop!” chances are the soccer season is just around the corner.

“Championships are made in the offseason, and this is our offseason. It is really important to get them out here, get some touches on the ball, get fit and get stronger in the weight room,” Gill said.

The Cleveland High School Boys soccer team’s summer workouts are in full swing, which means games of possession, trap work, attacking drills, sprints and long runs.

A couple of familiar faces on the field were former Cleveland players Parker Jones, who is a coach on the team, and Collin Casey, who helps with the development of players over the summer.

Jones was a standout two-sport athlete at Cleveland who played soccer and ran track and would later compete for UNM’s track and field team. For Tuesday's summer session, Jones helped out in the weight room.

Casey was a player for the 2018 Cleveland Storm squad that won the state championship.

“I’ve been helping out with the summer stuff since I graduated,” Casey said. “I believe I can help these guys mentally, and I can understand where they are coming from. I think this year is going to be an interesting one,” Casey said.

Casey just went wherever he was needed: was an extra body in drills, sent through balls, and even participated in conditioning workouts to motivate some of the tired players.

“Really would like us to get in good shape right now, especially with how long our season is; it can get difficult with the amount of games that we play. And, there's not always time for conditioning, so we need to build a good base now so it can carry us through the season," senior goalkeeper Joaquin Armijo said.

Armijo was a first-team All-State selection in 2022 and 2023.

“We did not have a lot of seniors on our team last year but now, we got a good core. So, we should have really strong leadership on our team, and that should help us improve our game from what it was last year,” Armijo said. “It’s really on us to set the bar for the entire team.”

PHOTOS: Cleveland boys soccer summer training 2024

Last season, Gill’s squad was able to get to the seventh seed in the state tournament with a 10-8-3 record and lost to Albuquerque High School in the state tournament.

“Brayan Ramirez, Justin Cantrell, Damien [Murillo Aguilar] and Evan [McNamara], they were all great captains when I was a sophomore, and I think that’s why we played really well in state because they stepped up as leaders, “ senior center midfielder Austin Clark said.

In 2023, Clark scored seven goals and notched six assists.

“A big thing for us is trusting our teammates … if we can improve on that this summer, I think we will be a lot better as a team,” Clark said.