PJC announces player honors, transfers

The men's soccer team at Paris Junior College ended the year with several things to celebrate - post-season honors, academic highlights, and seven players transferring to university.

The Dragons had a 5-7-3 season, making it all the way to the Region XIV Gulf South District Quarterfinal.

"This past season had its ups and downs," said Men's Soccer Coach Fernando Arellano. "Falling short in the Region 14 quarterfinal wasn't the outcome we anticipated, but overall, we're proud of how the season went and how our players performed. We faced adversity throughout the year, and in several matches, we were just one goal — or one moment — away from a different result. That shows we're right there, just one step away from where we want to be. Being a freshman-heavy team, we gained a lot of valuable experience, and heading into this next season, we're excited to return a strong core of players along with bringing in a talented group of newcomers."

Sophomore Jace Starling and freshman Lawrence Doe were named to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) First Team All-Region.

Starling had 10 goals and two assists and finished the season with 22 points. He transferred to Houston Christian University, a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I school.

Doe had four goals, five assists, and ended the season with 13 points.

Other players transferring to continue their education and soccer career include:

Axel Martinez, West Texas A&M University (NCAA Division II)
Damian Briones and Stefano Cia, Texas A&M University - Texarkana (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, NAIA)
Leonel Aguilar, McMurry University (NCAA Division III)
Anthony Cruz, Austin College (NCAA Division III)
Stefano Carvajal, Texas Wesleyan University (spring - NAIA)/University of the Southwest (fall - NAIA)

The team also had an outstanding year academically, with eight sophomores graduating, three with a 4.0 GPA and named to the President's List, 21 with a higher than 3.0 GPA, and 13 named to the Dean's List.

The National Junior College Athletic Association Region XIV recently named their All-Academic Team:

First Team All-Academic: Santiago Ruiz, Enoch Morebise
Second Team All-Academic: Julian Monjaras, Alexis Salazar, and Anthony Cruz
Third Team All-Academic: Stefano Cia

"Right now, we're focused on continuing to build the program," said Arellano, "and you can find us out recruiting across the DFW Metroplex area this summer at various ID camps, looking for the right student-athletes to help take the next step."

For more information about men's soccer at PJC, contact Arellano at farellano@parisjc.edu or Assistant Men's Soccer Coach Daniel Torres at dtorres@parisjc.edu.