Advosports

He knows he has a job to do on the field.

It ends with the ball in the back of the net, but Garrett de los Santos is rarely the one to put it there.

And it isn't always about what's going on during the game.

"I like to make sure everything is serious," said the senior midfielder for the Victoria West boys soccer team. "We want to make sure everyone isn't taking a step back, and saying 'Oh, we won last game.'"

Coaches Bill Tally and Tim Eaton didn't raise him to be that way as a player.

Not at Memorial, and certainly not at West.

"It's always the next game we're worried about," he said. "And I try to pass that on. You can't become lackadaisical."

His best plays are often the ones in which he does not score, the pass from the right win that find another player.

De los Santos isn't the flashiest player on the field, but he works to get into every play, to a point where he surprises his coaches.

"I started watching some video last year," said Warriors coach Bill Tally. "He was all over, he was in every goal. I was wondering, 'Why did we ever take this kid out?'"

De los Santos is one several seniors on the team tasked this season with shepherding a young Warriors team with little varsity experience entering the year.

All of the seniors with varsity experience are captains this season, and have helped bring a certain amount of poise to the young Warriors team.

"They've brought focus, they make sure that every one is serious at practice," Tally said. "They've given the right effort. They understand, they've been on varsity for a few years.

"They understand what I really want as far as working hard. They've made a big difference with setting the tone."

And it's been a winning formula for the Warriors, who are now 7-3-3 and 5-1-2 in District 59-4A heading into a big matchup against Gregory-Portland on Tuesday.

De los Santos said the Warriors have grown together as a team.

"So far, so good," he said. "It's not the same as if we had both East and West together, but I'm proud of my team. ... We've become best friends."

Tally said the Warriors have found ways to improve and get better, and to draw on their youth as a strength rather than a weakness.

"Especially district, I think the kids did a good job of listening and preparing," he said. "We're a young team. The more success we can have now, the better."

De los Santos is confident in his abilities on the field, and it shows just from watching him. The senior finds his team's main scorers with ease, and makes strong passes.

He said he prefers the defensive side of the ball, and that allows him to not get the credit he deserves.

"In the past, I passed the ball to the scorers, and they had a lot of goals and chances because they got the ball from the wing," said de los Santos.

"It's all about what decision I have to make," he added. "Maybe it's not a goal, but for the better of the team."

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