March 26, 2020 – Fort Myers (News Press)
Leo Perez’s ultimate goal his senior season was to lead Mariner High School’s boys soccer team to a state championship. The Tritons fell just short, losing 4-3 in double overtime in the Class 4A title game.
Though he’s a team-first player who takes pride in leading Mariner to the state finals, Perez admits there was one individual accolade he coveted this year.
Now he has it. Already the Class 4A Player of the Year, Perez has been named the Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Soccer. The Mariner senior beat out the top players from five other classes to win the award voted on by statewide media and coaches.
Leo Perez’s ultimate goal his senior season was to lead Mariner High School’s boys soccer team to a state championship. The Tritons fell just short, losing 4-3 in double overtime in the Class 4A title game.
Though he’s a team-first player who takes pride in leading Mariner to the state finals, Perez admits there was one individual accolade he coveted this year.
Now he has it. Already the Class 4A Player of the Year, Perez has been named the Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Soccer. The Mariner senior beat out the top players from five other classes to win the award voted on by statewide media and coaches.
This year Perez scored 69 goals and assisted on 31 more in leading Mariner to the state finals for the first time. The Tritons finished 25-5-1.
Perez is the first player from Lee County to win Mr. Soccer and the second from Southwest Florida since the award began in 1993. Naples High’s Chris Welling won the award in 1995.
“It means a lot knowing a kid from Mariner, a kid from Cape Coral, won it,” Perez said. “We’re not a big-name school, not a prep school or a private school. It’s a big deal for our school, for my family and my teammates.”
Perez will play at the Naval Academy next year. He graduates Mariner with 148 goals and 68 assists in his career. The Tritons went 90-25-8 in his four varsity seasons, including winning 24 games or more each of the past three years.
In addition to thanking his coach, Martin Cardenas, and teammates, Perez thanked his family for the support – as well as sometimes forcing him to get up before sunrise when he might not have been motivated to get to practice.
Perez thanked his parents, Leonardo and Angela, and sister, Vivianna, a freshman at Mariner. He also extended thanks to his late grandmother, Maria Forrisi, who died just before the season.
Canterbury senior Patrick Horan also was a finalist for Mr. Soccer after winning the Florida Dairy Farmers’ Class 2A Player of the Year. Horan, a Rollins College recruit, led the state in goals with 72 and added 22 assists as Canterbury went 17-3.
(Article originally published by News Press. See it here)
