The Wisdom High School boys soccer team are District 9-5A champions after closing out a nearly flawless 2022-2023 season with a record of 24-1.

The Generals worked hard all season to win district and earned their spot in the regional semifinals where they faced Pflugerville Connally High School. It was their first loss of the season.  

The team, led by Coach Fidel Andrade, consisted of several standout performers: senior team captain Carlos Villanueva, a three-year varsity and two-time district defensive MVP, junior Jacob Peña, and 2023 district offensive MVP Luis Cacho who will be attending Texas A&M University in the fall on a full ride scholarship.

The three met with HISD Strategic Communications Specialist Travion Harmon to discuss how it felt winning district and advancing to regional semifinals.

Q: How did it feel to win the regional quarterfinal match against Santa Fe to advance to the regional semifinals?

Jacob: It felt amazing winning the regional quarterfinals against Santa Fe because the year before, we lost in the same round, but not this year. We went all the way to regional semifinals, which was already an accomplishment for the team and myself to get more experience for the next year.

Q: With an amazing season record of 24-1, how does it feel to look back and know that all your hard work and teamwork paid off?

Carlos: I really feel proud that my teammates this season did a great job, and thanks to the coach who gave us the instructions in each game, and I hope that next year they will continue the same or better.

Luis: It feels very rewarding since we pushed ourselves every day. Through our hard work, determination, and consistency, we were able to make it far during the playoffs.

Q: What was the most exciting moment from this season?

Jacob: The most exciting moment from this season was when we went to train at Galveston before going into playoffs. This helped us a lot with our endurance during the playoffs. This also made us work harder because knowing everything that our coach did for us to get to playoffs had worked, and now it was our turn to return the favor.

Luis: The most exciting moment from this season for me was when we defeated Santa Fe High School, and I scored the winning goal and celebrated with my teammates.

Q: How do you all find the balance between being all-star soccer players and managing your class workload?

Jacob: The way you can manage your soccer and academic life is all about how you manage your time. You cannot procrastinate on an assignment, because then that one assignment turns into ten assignments really fast. You must have a strong mentality to keep on going no matter how hard it gets and how much work you are getting.

Carlos: It’s difficult, but by organizing your schedule well on a day to day basis, you can handle two things at the same time.

Q: What inspires or motivates you all to keep going when faced with adversity or when a game isn’t going your way?

Carlos: Reminding myself of my family and the affection and support they always gave me since I was a child and making all the people who believe in me feel proud.

Luis: What inspires and motivates me through adversity is the sacrifices that I’ve made to get to where I am. I think about all those miles I ran, the tears I shed, and most importantly—the people that supported me along the way.

Q: What can we expect to see from Wisdom’s soccer team next season?

Jacob: What you can expect from my team next year is a more determined, more hardworking, and more motivated group of guys. Our goal will always be to go further, and next season’s goal is to get to regional finals.