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The Pembroke Pines Jaguars boys soccer team has officially kicked off their preseason, and the excitement on the field is undeniable. With a strong turnout at tryouts, the coaches had the challenge of narrowing down a talented pool of players eager to make their mark in charter’s history.

 Despite the team’s impressive run to the state semi-finals last year and becoming 4-time district champions, the stakes and atmosphere this year feel higher than ever. 

One of the new players, freshman Joaquin Ravera says, “I trained extremely hard, I liked [the process of the tryouts] since it allowed the coach to have a visual on how I play during a game,” Expectations for the Jaguars are high, especially after their promising performance in a recent preseason match.This season however  poses a new challenge. The team lost 14 seniors, creating a gap  in both skill and leadership.

 “We’re a fairly young team,” Coach Marc Lue Young noted. “But we have some good pieces this year. I’m counting on the seniors to step up, lead the younger players, and set the tone for what we expect here at Pines Charter.”

 Senior captain Justin Treasure, understands the weight of that responsibility, admitting, “Being moved up to captain feels difficult at times, but sometimes you just got to do what you got to do to motivate the team.”

 Still, he’s optimistic about the squad’s potential, adding, “As a team, as long as we work together, we could get the level back to where it was last year—maybe even better.”

Last Wednesday, the boys varsity soccer team faced Doral Academy, a nationally ranked squad sitting at 12th in the country and 6th in Florida. 

Despite the unfortunate loss for our Jaguars, their 2-0 lead going into halftime showed nothing short of the team’s potential. To both players and coaches, the match served as a great learning curve.

 Coach Marc commented on the game, “We have a lot of quality in attack. We need to work on our defensive setup, but I believe we’re a solid unit and ready for another shot at the district title.”

The Jaguars’ first two regular-season games include a tough matchup against Reagan and a heated home rivalry against Saint Thomas Aquinas under the Thursday night lights. 

For STA transfer and co-captain, Logan Hall, this Thursday’s game is personal. “It means a lot to me, especially since I transferred from there to here.” He believes Pines Charter “has a better program overall” and remains confident they’re  “gonna go out there and get the win.” 

As the season approaches, Justin’s goals for the team remain clear. When asked what he hopes to leave with the younger players, he didn’t hesitate: “A state’s ring.”

 “We’re Pines Charter. We expect nothing less than wins, and I know the boys are ready to meet that standard”, says Coach Marc.  

The Jaguars, focused on maintaining the charter legacy and look forward to proving themselves and making an even deeper playoff run. With each practice and every game, they are focused on redemption and making their dreams a reality.