Gunnison High School Seniors celebrate their last year playing CHSAA 3A soccer in a program that was founded their freshman year of 2020. These seniors and their coach look back on how the program has evolved over the past four years.
Senior player’s Brian Perez, Carlos Alveraz, Henry Hubbard, Gael Ayala, and head coach Susan Powers have insight into their contributions and efforts to the foundation of the Gunnison High School soccer program.
This year’s seniors want to leave behind a legacy for younger generations of soccer players. Kids who love the sport of soccer can have hopes and dreams that one day they can become a part of something truly special live the Cowboy soccer program. These future soccer players can one day create their legacy and spread and grow their influence on Cowboy soccer.
The GHS soccer program is not just a sports program. Mrs. Powers said, “the culture around soccer is developing and is finally being accepted by others, it also binds people of different backgrounds and ethnicity together.” Brian Perez, one of the seniors who has been with the program since the beginning said, “I’ve had a great experience and have made many great memories with teammates, and I am grateful for all the opportunities.” Perez also reflects on how he thinks the culture has changed and the legacy of the program has been solidified. Brian has stated, “ this program has created a home for many students and has taught them the value of hard work and commitment”.
The Cowboys started off their first season as a team in 2020- 2021 as a junior varsity team in the spring season with an impressive 9-1-1 record. The Cowboys went head to head with their valley rivals, losing one game, tying another game, and winning their last game against the Crested ButteTitans. The Cowboy’s 2021-2022 was their first ever varsity season, which ended up in the results of a 8-6 record, barely qualifying for the state tournament. The Cowboys second varsity season from 2022-2023, which was their third year in the program, built off their success with a 8-8 record, qualifying yet again, for the state tournament. The Cowboys are currently in their third year as a varsity program, and fourth as a team, and are pushing to get a higher seat in the playoffs compared to the past two years, with the hopes of making it past the first round, something the team has never done before.. The Cowboys currently hold a record of 3-4-1 as of publication, and the seniors plan on making this last year memorable.
Soccer has always been a sport that students have been interested in valley wide. Susan Powers has been a soccer coach since 2017, when she began coaching the Under 8 rec teams. In 2017 she saw the need for a school-wide soccer program and the journey to developing the program initially began. Coach Susan Powers stated, “The process took about three years working with administration and the school board on how to fund and build a program with a strong foundation.” Mrs. Powers is credited with her hard work and time spent on impacting and shaping the lives of many young players. Susan Powers’ tenacity and selflessness has helped push forward a GHS soccer program from inception to a flourishing program that brings students of all backgrounds together, as the coach at the helm of the team since its beginning.
