Marshall Fundamental girls soccer team has a winning season
ALTADENA, Calif. — Four Altadena residents are members of the Marshall Fundamental Secondary School California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Division V Girls Soccer Championship Team. Mary Ballard, Julia Castro, Sammy Larios, and Clara Ortega, all underclassmen, got the front row experience as a part of this elite squad.
This Marshall team won the CIF championship title for just the second time in school history, before making it to the CIF State Regional Division 4 semifinal round, where they ended their season with a 26-3 record overall.
Coach Erika Prado and assistant coach Stephanie Romero, both new to Marshall, led the team to victory. “We worked hard, and it was worth it,” said Coach Prado. “We proved our potential on the field.”
Coach Prado emphasized team bonding, which played a crucial role in the team’s success. “Our bond was something you don’t see very often in both club and high school teams, and was an important factor to our success,” said Delilah Vazquez, a Junior on the team.
Five of the team’s players will be graduating at the end of this school year, most of whom have been on the team since their freshman year, waiting for their chance at the CIF title. When asked about the victory, senior Cadence Fisher said, “Going through four years of soccer with different coaches and teammates coming in, it’s very satisfying to finally win CIF with my favorite group of people.”
The underclassmen are confident that they will be able to carry the weight of the team in the years to come, with 70% of our team is returning. Sophomore and Altadena resident Clara Ortega added, “From the roster, 60% of us are sophomores with a good probability we can [win the title] again.”
“We have a lot of teammates playing for fun and playing to win,” said sophomore Julia Castro. “This was the year we had to win and we did it.”
Felita Kealing says the team had incredible support. “The stands were packed edge-to-edge at home and playoff games, and their success has definitely fostered even more school spirit. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for the team in the future, and for those players graduating this year. Congratulations to the Marshall Fundamental girls’ soccer team, and to many more successful seasons!
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