The Arlington Bulldogs, a recreational boys soccer team, has been nominated and chosen to participate in the national 4-H Ignite competition in March.
The Arlington Soccer Association team’s roster consists of players from mostly Arlington high schools at the under-15 and under-16 age levels.
Bulldogs’ head coach Alex Ordonez said the team has trained through the winter with “relentless commitment, proving that passion, hard work, and perseverance can lead to extraordinary opportunities.
“This selection speaks volumes, not just about our team’s success, but also about their character, leadership and drive to inspire others,” he said.
There have been 11 players chosen to participate in the competition from a Bulldogs’ roster of nearly two dozen.
“It was a hard decision to select only 11, but we still have a full team supporting the event,” Ordonez said.
The Bulldogs won the Anti-Gang Tournament in Arlington. The team was divided into two squads for that tourney, with the squads finishing first and second.
This past fall, the Bulldogs finished second in a tournament in its division and third in the Alexandria Harvest Fest tourney.
The 4-H Ignite round-robin competition will be in D.C. March 12-16. Initially, the Bulldogs will train with professional players and coaches at the event, followed by courses where they will explore behind-the-scenes aspects of soccer, like designing shin guards.
The event will conclude with multiple games over two days of competition.
The players for the Bulldogs are Nelson Abraham, Jacob Crespo, Xabi Escalera, Henry Bachman, Ibrahim Benkahla, Edgar Deglado, Ernesto Castaneda, Adrian Choque-Garcia, Alejandro Lopez, Ivo Lazic, Julian Leiva, Chris Lozano, Matthew Goyzueta, Alessandro Meza, Jasson Moran, Archie Troyan, Declan O’Connor, Mason Ordonez, Matiwos Teferi, Jeronimo Vargas and Isaac Weathers.
Assistant coaches are Victor Troyan and Will Simon.
