GAMES
RANKINGS
2024-25 Episcopal High School Soccer
SPC-4A Boys Soccer Championship Preview: Episcopal vs. Greenhill
These consecutive clean sheets throughout the postseason highlight the strict dedication instilled by head coach Travis Smith as he and the Knights seek their seventh championship in the past decade.
Veteran leadership will be key at this stage, and few players are more capable than the 2024 All-SPC selections Geronimo Barroso (Sr. CM), Lorenzo Juarez (Sr. CB), and Sebastian Guerra (So. MF).
That said, this run has been a team effort. Don’t overlook the contributions of Eduardo Mora Garza (Jr. LW), Jack Jacobs (Sr. RW), Jacon Holzhauser (Jr. CB), Richard Agyeman-Yeboah (Jr. ST), Joshua Lynch (Jr. LB), and junior goalkeeper Jared Piñeda.
On the other side, Greenhill earned the No. 1 seed for their strong regular-season performance.
They cemented their status as title contenders with a 2-1 victory over St. Mark’s on Friday, punching their ticket to the championship game.
Under head coach Paul Field, the Hornets are chasing their first SPC plaque since the 2005-2006 season.
While Episcopal has the advantage in experience, anything can happen when these two teams face off at Castleberry High School on Saturday at 12:30 PM.
2022-23 Episcopal High School Soccer
TITLE TOWN: Episcopal soccer dons SPC Crown... again
“It was especially rewarding [to win the ‘23 SPC Title] considering how last season ended for us,” said coach Travis Smith. “We felt that we were the best team in the conference in 2022, and we lost our opening game in the tournament. This time around everyone was incredibly excited, especially our seniors who’ve given so much to the program.”
Considering the team’s consistency in regards to getting results by optimizing the talent on the pitch, it’s easy to see why Episcopal has gradually become the gold standard in Houston high school soccer.
“Our consistency stems from how we have players who deeply care about EHS soccer,” Smith said. “Many of them are high-level club players, but they’re very committed to our program and sacrifice a lot to be a part of it because they truly value the experience.”
The standouts for EHS this season start with senior captains -- Connor Kuenstle (LeHigh-commit) and Yael Gonzalez. The offense runs through them with a knack for possession play and skilled touches. Furthermore, scoring was led by fellow skipper -- forward Yousuf Saeed (Sr.-Wesleyan) and Kadin Castillo. Lastly, the backline was anchored by senior Careem Flores, with the duo Ian Aitboughima and Aleck Camacho in goal, who all made a significant impact on defense, heavily contributing to the Knights’ 62-7 goal differential this Winter.
Throughout his nearly two-decade tenure as the coach of Episcopal soccer, Smith has witnessed the progression of several prolific playmakers, who’ve ushered the team to the SPC Championship in recent years. The level of talent he’s been given the opportunity to direct is not lost on him.
“I never take it for granted,” he said. “I know where we were as a team, 17 years ago, so it’s never assumed that we will be fighting for Championships every year. We’ve just been blessed with incredible players over the past nine years. Twelve seniors will be graduating at the end of this semester. That said, we have a number of talented freshmen and sophomores that would normally have played a larger role in our team this year, if we weren’t so senior-laden.”
Episcopal can now revel in title glory. Expect them to make a push to run it back a year from now.
