When Willcox High School hosted its boys fall soccer state championship quarterfinals match a few weeks ago, it was the first time in nearly a decade for the small Southern Arizona community.
For the city’s current 470 high school students, including varsity soccer player Jovani “Jojo” Rodriguez, the match was the first time they experienced state play up close and personal.
But before hosting the Oct. 29 evening game against Snowflake High School, Willcox, located roughly 80 miles east of Tucson, had a small problem — its high school soccer field wasn’t equipped with lights.
Rather than rescheduling the match or recommending the tournament opponent host instead, Willcox High and head boys soccer coach Katrina Garza worked hard to find a solution.
Initially, they thought of playing on the football field instead, which had plenty of lighting, but it wasn’t up to Arizona Interscholastic Association standards. Just when things seemed dark, literally and figuratively, a light made itself known — Willcox’s tiny but mighty community.
The community of 3,200 — mostly made of ranchers, miners, trade workers and families — wouldn’t let their hometown high school miss out on this seemingly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, setting up temporary lighting for the occasion.
“The community rallied together and were able to bring lights to the field in order for us to host it,” Garza said. “It was such an amazing feeling. And then I think they sold over 200 tickets. That was how many people came to see the team. I get a little emotional (because) this team is changing the culture and putting soccer on the map. Sometimes I feel like we’re a very underrated sport. But, over 200-plus people came to watch them, so just to be able to celebrate that with them was amazing.”
Jovani Rodriguez hopes to play soccer in college. Eventually, he’d like to become an electrical engineer and work for a mining company.
Despite ultimately losing the match 3-2, the Willcox Cowboys went undefeated in their region with a 5-0 record and finished the regular season 11-1 overall under the helm of first-year head coach Garza. It was the first time the team had made the state tournament in five years.
During the state championship quarterfinals, Rodriguez scored the team’s sole goals. His two goals during the quarterfinals brought his overall season record to 18 goals. The national average is four, according to MaxPreps.
“We never had lights (on the field). So I was like, ‘OK, we always play in the day. We could probably move the time.’ But no, the community got together and they put lights on the field,” Rodriguez said. “I was like, ‘Wow. This is a cool thing to look back at every now and then.’ I told the other players, ‘Hey, if you want to feel this again, just go to state next year.’”
After scoring the first of two goals in the quarterfinals, Rodriguez recalls his team running toward each other with excitement and greeting one another with hugs. Despite the moment happening only a few weeks ago, he calls it one of his all-time favorite soccer memories.
With his high school soccer career coming to an end, Rodriguez says it was hard to come to terms with at first.
“I left everything on the field during our home state game and making history right there (because) we haven’t had one in a long time,” he said. “And when it came to a close, I was sad, but I have a new chapter to open since I’m probably going to college. I’m looking out for colleges to go play over there.”
Throughout his time on the varsity soccer team, Rodriguez earned numerous awards and recognitions, including All-Region First Team.
Coach Garza describes Rodriguez as someone who has “quiet swag,” meaning that he’s more on the reserved side but has a swagger to him.
“He’s a great leader on the field, great leader outside of the field, just all around,” she said. “A lot of the younger athletes on our team look up to him. It’s been amazing. He’s a really good student-athlete in general. He just doesn’t play soccer, he does basketball, he does baseball, he’s an all-around athlete and super coachable.”
Rodriguez began playing soccer when he was around 5 years old. By the time he was 12, he was playing with an adult league, he says. Around the time he was 15, he says he earned the adult players’ respect as a soccer player.
“My dad really got me into it,” he said. “As a young kid, he wanted me to play, so I started playing,” he said. “I was like, ‘I’ll see how it goes and in the future if I still like it, I’ll keep going.’ But then I fell in love with the sport at a very young age.”
Now, the 17-year-old lives and breathes soccer, so much so, that he spends most of his free time thinking about or playing the sport — when he’s not playing the video game Rocket League or checking out a movie at the Willcox Historic Theater, of course.
Soccer, school and his agricultural pursuit meetings take up a majority of Rodriguez’s time as he finishes up the rest of his senior year.
Even though his schedule can get busy at times, Rodriguez says it’s important to stick to a routine and complete schoolwork before anything else.
“I’m a student first and an athlete next,” he says.
After he graduates high school, he hopes to continue playing soccer in college. Currently, some of his college choices include Pima Community College and Eastern Arizona College. But, he’s open to any college in the world that needs a “well-rounded player,” he says.
Eventually, he’d like to become an electrical engineer and work for a mining company.
But regardless of what happens post-high school, soccer and this season in particular will continue to live on in Rodriguez, as his team had its best season in several years and made history in its small town.
“This season was an amazing season,” Rodriguez said. “I got to play with really amazing people and they helped me along my journey. It was my senior year, so I had to try my hardest to go to state. After that first loss we had (on Sept. 6), I was like, ‘Yeah, I don’t want to feel that ever again.’ So we just kept winning and we handled business.”
Get to know Jovani
Jovani Rodriguez, a 17-year-old soccer player from Willcox High School, scored 18 goals this season, while the national average is four.
Who’s your favorite soccer player of all time?
Neymar.
You get to create your own soccer dream team. Who are you picking for your team?
Luis Suárez, Messi, Neymar and Ronaldinho.
Who currently has the best soccer jersey?
Brazil with their new Christ the Redeemer jersey.
What’s your go-to post-match meal?
Fruits like watermelon and pineapple. But, if we win, that’s a different story. I’m going to R&R Pizza Express, McDonald’s or Pizza Hut.
What’s your current favorite class?
Weight conditioning.
