By Riya Chawla
GOAL! The James Logan girls’ soccer team scored the goal and earned the title of MVAL League Champions! The countless practices and endless hard work have paid off. After the last championship in 2021, the Class of 2026 entered the field on a mission to bring the title back to James Logan. Between 5 AM and late-night practices, the hard work never stopped.
The girls were on a winning streak despite facing a tough home game against Newark Memorial. However, the Lady Colts took the win home with a score of 3-2. The second game was away, head-to-head with Newark, where the Lady Colts faced a loss with a score of 2-3. Cassandra Munoz, senior on varsity, said, “The hardest game was battling through playing Newark at home. Having it be at your home stadium was stressful, but also had a unique feeling because everyone was so supportive, and we were able to show that we were the better team when we worked together.”
The unity and passion within this team is remarkable. “Our chemistry and ability to work hard together is something unbelievable and truly different about this team. Having super early practices or super late. It didn’t matter; we put in the work, and it showed on the field,” Munoz said.
The James Logan girls’ soccer team holds a strong history, winning 10 MVAL Championships thus far. Varsity freshmen Alana Flores said, “I’ve been playing soccer for 7 years… but being able to be a part of this group who was able to win, it is just really special. I’m really grateful that I got the opportunity to play in this community.”
The girls’ soccer team carried a strong, competitive, and winning mindset that pushed them through their games. As senior Emily Yap said, “Our motto was ‘Go Hunting.’” I feel like our mindset going in was super competitive. We wanted to go for every single ball, so yeah, our mindset really just helped us push through.”
And the coaches couldn’t be more proud, Coach Cedric Higgins said, “This group was very harmonious. They were tight-knit. They believed in each other, and unlike past years, there was minimal conflict. So that made this a special group.”
After the championship win, the girls all felt “accomplished,” “fulfilled,” and “surreal.”
As these seniors head off to college, they would like to thank their coaches, teammates, and parents. As senior Asma Niazi said, “I want to thank my best friends—Cassie, Mady, Jaden, and Martin, our team manager, for always being there for me. Even through the highs and lows, they kept me motivated and made me want to come to practice every day.”
Most of all, the girls would like to thank James Logan and the Union City community for all the support from friends who cheer on the sideline, parents who show up in the pouring rain, and the coaches who are there no matter what.
Coach Cedric said, “We have a great program here for James Logan girls’ soccer. We built it over the years…Coach Blair, who was before me, really put a lot into it. I tried to take on the legacy that he built. And we just want the community to support us and come on out and watch our games and continue to believe in our program.”
