By EDWARD SEVERN, Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — Harlingen High’s soccer team is sending two more players, Juan Lerma and Oscar Martinez, to play college soccer.
Lerma signed with Wiley College, a school in Marshall along Texas’ border with Louisiana. Wiley has recruited heavily in the Rio Grande Valley this spring as it looks to build a new program.
“It is beautiful because I wanted this since I was a little kid,” Lerma said.
Lerma is happy about Wiley recruiting heavily in the Valley, because he will play with familiar faces.
“Actually, it calms my nerves because I get to play with friends,” Lerma said. “It still is not going to be easy.”
This season, Lerma played as a striker and will play the same position in college. He scored five goals this season and was awarded first-team all-District 32-6A honors as a forward.
“Juan is a hard worker and hard on himself,” Cardinals coach Joseph Johnson said. “He is willing to put that time in after practice to work on his individual skill set. He wants to be that dominant forward with his back to goal.”
Lerma is planning to study business at Wiley.
Martinez played right back and central midfielder for the Cards this season. He will join Ranger College, a two-year school located in Ranger, a town east of Dallas.
“It feels great,” Martinez said. “Especially because I am a first-generation college student. No one in my family has reached that, it is a big moment and I feel accomplished, but there is a lot of work still to go. Combining school with soccer is something amazing, and it is going to be a nice experience.”
Martinez made the move from right back to the midfield in the middle of the season and received all-district honorable mention at that position. He said he is ready for the competition he will experience at the college level.
Johnson likened Martinez to the Energizer bunny because of his work rate on the field and his personality in the locker room. Martinez spent four years playing varsity soccer and four years running cross country.
“Oscar is one of the hardest working kids I have been around,” Johnson said. “He is a very electric player and will do whatever it takes for the team.”
Martinez plans to study welding while in college.