Esparza: Senior captain who defends with brains, heart
Manteca High senior Mateo Esparza.
By CHRISTIAN AMBRIZ
The Tower
The whistle blows. The game begins. The grass beneath the senior captain’s feet feels familiar, solid, and ready. Every breath is steady. Every movement calculated.
As the ball rolls, the sound of cleats cutting through the grass fills the air, and the smell of freshly mowed grass mixes with the subtle hint of sweat.
Mateo Esparza plays for the Manteca boys varsity soccer team. As a senior captain and two-time all-Valley Oak League player, the stakes are high and expectations even higher.
Joining the program his freshman year and later being bumped up to the varsity level during his sophomore year, it’s easy to say that he’s improved through the years.
“The biggest change I've seen from Mateo was his confidence; he’s boosted a lot over the year and has become our best team player,” said fellow senior Adrian Anaya, a teammate that's been with him since their freshman year.
Esparza’s love for the game and leadership skills have been shown on the field. Being one of the loudest and most moving voices on the pitch, he fulfills the expectation of the captain's band.
Manteca has responded to their captain. As of press time, the Buffaloes are fourth in the VOL and have equaled their win total (10) from their postseason run in 2023-24, his sophomore season and first at the varsity level.
Although he’s a defender, Esparza is one of the team’s best offensive weapons. He has four goals on the season, many of which have come through the air on crosses and corner kicks.
A three-sport athlete, Esparza credits his leadership skills and poise to his time on the football team. Manteca is a nine-time Sac-Joaquin Section champion and the reigning VOL king. Pressure follows their every step, Esparza said.
“I’d say I'm kind of used to it, you know. Playing sports my whole life, I'm kind of used to that pressure. I feel like football helped a lot. I mean, when you play football at Manteca High, there's a lot of pressure every game, every practice every rep,” Esparza said. “So, I feel like I got a lot of confidence on the field, so the pressure doesn’t really get to me.”
The Tower sat down with Mateo Esparza to break down his role in the team, development as a player, and how him being senior now, has been.
The Tower: What or who inspired you to start playing soccer?
Mateo Esparza: I’d say my big brother, he’s always played sports, so growing up, I always played sports. My mom played soccer. My big brother played a little bit of soccer, so it was just kind of in my family already.
TT: Would you consider soccer to be your main sport focus, regarding playing multiple sports?
ME: Yeah, I'd say, you know, playing 3 sports in high school, I’d say since freshman year all the way to now, soccer’s been my main priority, when it comes to practices and trainings. I'm always prioritizing soccer.
TT: Do you see yourself continuing to play soccer in the future?
ME: I think I’ll probably play a little bit of junior college soccer, and hopefully if I put enough work in, I can go a 4 year after that or something, something of that sort.
TT: Have you always played Defender?
ME: No, I started out as like a wing back when I was younger, striker, wingback. And then my 1st and 2nd year at high school, I played midfielder. I did all right there, and then once I went up to varsity, I’ve played centreback since.
TT: During your 4 years of high school soccer, which year would you say you enjoyed the most?
ME: I would definitely say my sophomore year, I feel like we all kind of had a unity on the team. It was every practice, it was a lot of fun, and we all worked hard, and that team was a special team.
TT: Have you noticed any development in your game over the years, and if so, what impact does it have on your game?
ME: I’d say my IQ on the field has gotten a lot better. You know, just knowing the game and reading the game, and just knowing how to organize the defense and organize everyone else, it’s gone a lot better, and I’d say my touch a little bit, but I do have to work on my touch. I feel like my mindset and my soccer IQ is there.
TT: What attributes do you think you bring into the field?
ME: I’d say I bring physicality; I bring smarts, you know. In all the sports I play, my smarts is probably my biggest attribute. I use it in football, mostly in soccer.
TT: Being your last year of high school soccer, what are your goals for this year, and what are you doing to accomplish them?
ME: I’d say finish strong, hopefully make playoffs, maybe take some points off some big VOL teams like Sierra, East Union, Patterson, and Oakdale. I feel like soccer, the practice has got to get a little more intense, get a little more serious and then the games just focus on what we got to get done.
TT: What does wearing the jersey as a senior mean to you?
ME: I feel like it just shows the work I put in the last 4 years, you know, and especially wearing that captain badge, and wearing my number 23, I feel like it just shows the work I put in, and I'm proud to, you know, put on the green and play soccer here.
TT: What advice would you give to a freshman who wants to be in your position someday?
ME: I’d say put in the work, if you think those little practices on your own time and going to extra trainings and putting the extra reps at practice isn’t gonna help; it slowly builds up and builds up until your junior, senior year when it finally shows. And just always have confidence and don't let your mistakes get to you.