The Sealy Lady Tiger soccer team was well represented with 10 all-district selections and 15 academic all-district distinctions following its best record and a second-place finish in District 20-4A.

Junior classmates Destinee Castillo (co-offensive player of the year) and Kenna Killough (defensive player of the year) as well as freshman Rebeca Garza (co-freshman of the year) all earned MVP/first-team all-district honors for their contributions.

Seniors Daniela Acosta, Coral Becerra and Valerie Villagomez, as well as junior Hattie Schalla, earned second-team all-district honors. Also, senior Alexis Garza and juniors Jenna Forrester and Hailey Arteaga garnered all-district honorable mentions.

Killough and junior classmate Rosa Alvarez also earned academic all-district recognition after they maintained at least a 90 average or higher in all classes throughout the season.

Head coach Adrian Rocha said he was proud of this year’s team and despite the bi-district loss in the first round of the playoffs, the postseason honors certainly recognize the team’s performance.

“In spite of all the things in the world that we live in – we had a winter storm, we’re in the pandemic – I feel very proud that Sealy was represented very well and it goes back to, I feel like the culture of Sealy. It’s always about the best and the soccer teams have been able to put Sealy on the map as well.”

Between the 10 all-district selections, each unit of offense, defense and goaltending was recognized which goes to show the talent level this year’s squad owned as well.

“They had an amazing talent,” Rocha said. “They worked really hard every practice and every game, every goal that was scored was a team effort and it was all about their talent being displayed. These awards really show the talent of this team, the ability that this team has and that it only gets better from here on for the years to come.”

Although a healthy group of seniors will walk across the graduation stage in May, Rocha knows the lessons they bestowed on the underclassmen will pay dividends in the near future.

“It just feels that they really represented their class from freshman year all the way to senior year, I know they got kind of cheated on their junior year, but it just shows what the heart of that program is, never giving up. Always going for it, and that group of seniors, they work really well,” Rocha said of the graduating members. “They encourage the underclassmen and all of those underclassmen look up to them. So, them graduating, it might be kind of like a rebuilding year but I honestly don’t see it much. I honestly think that the girls that hopefully try out again and make it, they’re going to get even stronger.”

He said the biggest thing he was taking away from this year was the respect earned from the other teams within District 20 and beyond.

“When we have our meetings and we nominate people or they say a player it just feels good because we give them competition. The girls were saying that the Bellville girls said, ‘Y’all were the hardest team that we played in the district,’ it’s being shown,” Rocha said. “I’ve heard other coaches that ask for a game, they’re like, ‘We asked you because y’all don’t give up. Y’all keep going, y’all give us really solid competition,’ which is a win-win deal because they’re working as well as us. … All of the other coaches always tell me, ‘Good job, I love your positive sportsmanship that your girls have, they’re very respectful, and y’all always give us a competition.’ I’ve already got emails like, ‘Hey can we have a game for next year?’ or ‘Can we come back?’”