The Emperors boys soccer team delivered an entertaining performance at Claud Hebert Field for the final time on February 12th. Seniors Angel Rodriguez, Yovanni Hernandez, Osvaldo Grajeda, David Garcia, Alan Gaeta, and Alexis Chavez gave their all on the field, concluding their season with a 5-3 victory. The team’s valiant efforts paid off, as they finished the season with a third-place standing in the West Yosemite League and a 6-3-1 record.

The match kicked off with a goal by Adrian Abarca just nine minutes after the first whistle blew. As the match progressed, David Garcia scored his first goal of the game with 12 minutes on the clock.

Things got interesting when Mission Oak tied the score just before the end of the first half. In retaliation, Alex Gallo scored a goal at 33:14. Three minutes later, David Garcia netted the fourth goal for the Emperors. The referee blew his whistle, signaling halftime, with the scoreboard reading 4-2.

Mission Oak scored a penalty kick at 27:24, creating nervous tension across the stadium. Excitingly, David Garcia scored his first hat trick of the season with a penalty kick at 8:26, securing victory for the Emperors and concluding the season with a smashing success. Garcia joyously remarked, “It feels good, it’s entirely surreal. A great way to end senior night. Thank you to all my teammates and coaches because they deserve credit for today’s victory too.”