MADISON — Tied at 1-1 against Manchester Academy in Monday’s MAIS Division III soccer championship, Delta Streets Academy sophomore Danny Vargas took matters into his own feet.
The Lions’ star forward fought his way past a pair of Mavericks around midfield before changing direction on a dime to beat a third defender just outside the penalty box. One final burst of speed gave Vargas just enough space to break free from a sea of green and poke his second goal of the afternoon past the diving Manchester goalkeeper.
DSA never relinquished its 2-1 lead, avenging a loss in last year’s finals with a 5-2 victory over the Mavericks at Madison-Ridgeland Academy. It’s the first state title in program history and the second in the school’s 10-year history.
“I realized we got scored on, I looked at the time and I was like, ‘I can’t lose,’” Vargas said. “My motto this year was, ‘I can’t lose to a team that just plays kickball.’ I got the ball, I did my thing, I scored and I celebrated.”
Vargas finished with three goals, his 14th hat trick of the season, increasing his scoring total to 68 — the most in the country this winter according to MaxPreps.
“It’s fun to watch him do his thing,” second-year DSA head coach Connor Altman said of Vargas. “He certainly helps link our defense to the attack, for sure. Sometimes he’s the midfield and the attack.”
Not only did Vargas triple his goal total from his freshman year (22), he also grew into a vocal leader who acted as a second coach of sorts on the field.
“It’s a ridiculous season, leads the country in all kinds of offensive stats,” Altman added. “He’s special and does excellent things for us. And he’s got two more years to do the same thing over and over again.”
Vargas got the Lions (22-3) on the board three minutes into the matchup off a cross from Elian Ortiz, who finished with two assists. Manchester evened the score 10 minutes later before Vargas answered with his coast-to-coast finish that permanently flipped the momentum in favor of DSA. Chris Zuniga (two assists) found Gabby Cordova for a header in the 29th minute to extend the Lions’ lead to 3-1 at halftime.
Adrian Escudero converted a penalty kick in the 53rd minute and Vargas completed his hat trick in the 63rd minute to round out DSA’s scoring.
“Before the season, I said, ‘Hey, if we’re winning state this year, I’m not doing it by myself — I’m doing it with every single one of you guys,’” Vargas said. “They supported me with that and I loved it. This isn’t just a team. This is a family.”
“The key this year was the unity and brotherhood that we had,” Altman added. “I know that’s cliche, but it is true. I love each and every one of these guys and I think they’d die for each other.”
Another key for the Lions this year was added depth. Last season, an injury to Vargas in the championship largely cost them their first trophy. A crop of newcomers allowed DSA to not rely so heavily on just one player for offense this year and help bring home the hardware.
It didn’t take long for the Lions to find their secondary playmaker in the speedy Ortiz as well as their goalkeeper in J.Z. George transfer Christian Ledesma. When Ledesma went down with an injury late in the first half, seventh grader Jonathon Jimenez stepped up to preserve DSA’s 3-1 advantage.
“They came in and fit in seamlessly,” Altman said of his new players. “This year we have depth, and it’s quality depth. I think it’s what got us over the edge this whole year.”
Although the Lions cruised through postseason play outscoring opponents 23-3, they’ll need every bit of that depth next winter when they plan to move up to Division II. Vargas may not score 68 goals again, but DSA’s competitiveness in two meetings with Division II runner up Starkville Academy this year — both 1-0 losses — bodes well for next year’s prospects.
- Contact Riley Overend at 662-581-7237 or roverend@gwcommonwealth.com.
