Wolfpack Wins Soccer State Championship
The Belen Jesuit Wolfpack, our very own Special Olympics unified sports team, traveled to ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando to compete in the Special Olympics Florida State Summer Games May 19-20.
Over 2000 Special Olympics athletes and unified partners competed in track, bocce, tennis, cycling, volleyball and soccer. Special Olympics Florida's State Summer Games officially began on May 19th with an awe-inspiring celebration ending with the remarkable lighting of the Special Olympics Flame of Hope. The torch arrived at the stadium accompanied by over 500 members of law enforcement from law enforcement departments across the state of Florida.
The Wolfpack, coached by junior Claudio Leyva, Jose Sanchis '14 and Mr. Calderin '92 and me, first took on the Volusia Enforcers. The Wolfpack quickly wreaked havoc on the Volusia Enforcers defense, with captain Ruben Bolaños scoring a hat trick and sophomore Guillermo Quintero also scoring. Damian Lightbourne scored the final goal of the game to finish off the Enforcers.
After defeating the Volusia Enforcers 5-0, the Wolfpack advanced to the State Championship game against the Leon County Thunder. From the beginning of the game, it was clear the state championship game would come down to the wire. The game entered the second half scoreless thanks to an incredible sliding tackle by junior Ricardo Espina that stopped what would have been a goal for the Thunder. Inspired by the play, the team was able to break down the Thunder defense and with ten minutes remaining, sophomore Guillermo Quintero scored what would prove to be the winning goal.
After the game, the Belen Jesuit Wolfpack received their medals in an awards ceremony, but the celebration didn’t end there!! At the State Summer Games Closing Ceremony, sophomore Guillermo Quintero was named and awarded the Miami Dade County Inspirational Unified Partner Award.
The team will now begin to prepare for the upcoming football season. If you would like to get involved please email me at jguerrerovicente18@belenwolverines.org, Guillermo Quintero at gquintero19@belenwolverines.org, or Mr. Calderin at jcalderin@belenjesuit.org.
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.