Dilan Cazares didn’t expect to see too much playing time on the Edinburg High Bobcats soccer team this past season.
As a freshman, he figured he would have to wait to gain some experience and it might take a while for his coaches to have the confidence in him.
Edinburg High head coach Luis Cardenas wasn’t too sure at first either as practices began. Once, he put Cazares in a game, though, there was absolutely no doubt — the freshman played did not play like a rookie.
“It’s hard to tell sometimes in practice how they will respond in a game, playing against the top players in the Valley,” said Cardenas, who finished his 10th year as the boys head coach. “Coming up from junior high he had more speed and more technique compared to any regular freshman. His technique and dribbling skills were like someone with more experience. He wasn’t scared at all, you wouldn’t see him nervous, he was ready for any occasion.”
His impact on the Bobcats team immediately felt by his team, and by opponents. Because of his performance, Cazares is The Monitor All-Area Boys Soccer Newcomer of the Year.
Cazares said despite not thinking he would see much playing time, he still felt a lot of pressure — externally and self-induced — to perform. A heralded player in junior high, he also has an older brother who starred for Edinburg and graduated in 2016.
It didn’t take long for the rest of District 31-6A to recognize that Cazares could be a game-changer and opponents did what they could to neutralize the young forward.
“Sometimes I would have two or three players around me, marking me,” he said. “I thought it was kind of crazy as a freshman getting that much attention.”
Cardenas remembers one game where some of the players were attending a different school function but Cazares decided to play.
“He scored the winning goal for us in that game,” Cardenas said. “If he wouldn’t have been there we may not have had a chance. He was the difference.”
Cazares said he feels that his strength and ability to shoot, with both his left and right feet, are among his strong points. He admitted that he needs to work more on his defense.
“Yeah, I’m not too great there,” he said.
But, he quickly added that he’s working to improve on all areas over the summer. The Bobcats finished in third place in District 31-6A, behind perennial power Donna North and Edinburg Economedes. Cazares said the goal is to come out next season and be a contender for that district crown.
“I want to be fit and more ready for the season next year,” he said. “We want to win district and go far in the playoffs.”
Cardenas said that Cazares has a lot of potential, especially if he keeps his work ethic on pace, and remains humble.
“The difference between freshman and sophomore year is a lot of growth,” Cardenas said. “But you have to remain humble and not start thinking you know everything. Dilan is very humble and I expect him to follow the process and keep growing. If you saw him play this year, you wouldn’t think he was a freshman. It looked like he had all this experience at that level. He was ready.”