ROCKINGHAM — A pair of senior soccer players was named to the 2023 All-Sandhills Athletic Conference team this season.
Jesus Castro and Daniel Jaimes represented the Richmond Raiders on this year’s roster, the first career selection for both players.
The All-SAC team was released following Lee County High School’s third-round departure from the NCHSAA 3A state playoffs.
A total of 24 players were chosen, led by six each from SAC champion Lee County and second-place Pinecrest High School.
Southern Lee High School had four players, followed by three from Hoke County High School, two each from Richmond and Union Pines High School and one pick from Scotland High School.
There were four individual accolades — three players, one coach — handed out. Irvin Guitierrez (Lee County) earned Offensive Player of the Year, while Brad Wicker (Lee County) was named Coach of the Year.
Tyler Donze (Pinecrest) and Kael John (Union Pines) were tabbed Defensive Player and Goalkeeper of the Year, respectively.
The Raiders finished in fifth place in the SAC standings with a 9-11-1 overall record and a 5-6-1 mark in conference play.
Jesus Castro, senior center midfielder
First career selection
A four-year varsity starter, Castro capped his career by finishing the season tied for the team lead with nine goals. He scored two goals in a game twice in wins over Southern Lee and Montgomery Central High School.
As the team’s main facilitator in the middle of the field, Castro helped set up scoring runs and added six assists, which was the most for Richmond.
In the season opener against St. Pauls High School, he had a goal and two assists, and Castro recorded an assist to go with his two goals against Montgomery Central.
His final goal came on a penalty kick in the SAC tournament at Hoke County, ending his career with 21 goals on varsity.
“This is something I wanted to earn, and I thought a lot about it during the season,” Castro said. “It feels great to be All-Conference. I think I was an important piece to the team. Obviously, my teammates were great as well.
“I was able to give my teammates the ball and they were able to score,” he added. “Some of my favorite memories include beating Montgomery Central (High School) and watching Sam (Hawks) and Matteo (Rubbiano) score were great.”
Daniel Jaimes, senior center back
First career selection
Much of what Jaimes did this season to help the Raiders wasn’t something that showed up on the stat sheet. This fall, in order to strengthen the team’s defense, Jaimes moved from the midfield to center back.
Sacrificing his ability to score goals, Jaimes instead bolstered Richmond’s defense and helped the team record five shutout victories in front of goalkeeper Adrian Padron. This season, the Raiders allowed 2.2 goals against per match.
Playing his second season on varsity, Jaimes did find the goal one time. Playing up on a set piece, something he and Castro each participated in often, Jaimes snuck a shot inside the front post as part of a 4-0 win over Scotland.
In his two seasons with the Raiders, Jaimes tallied three total goals.
“It feels good to make All-Conference,” Jaimes said. “I wouldn’t have made it without my teammates. What I think I did this season was train hard during practice and give my fullest every game.
“Switching to defense was a new challenge for me, but I’m glad I was able to adjust and grow my defensive skills with the team,” he continued. “Some of my favorite memories were made during our team practices and the bus rides to the games.”
Sports editor’s note: Richmond’s stats were provided by MaxPreps.com.
