The Wekiva boys soccer team headed into Thanksgiving break with momentum and an identity built on defensive grit, late-game belief and the hunger to bury last year’s 3-13 record deep in the past.  

The team’s 2-1 win over Lake Buena Vista on Nov. 20, sealed by a stunning late strike, may have been the trademark moment of an impressive 4-1-1 start. 

Lake Buena Vista struck first on Wekiva’s home turf, controlling possession and dictating the pace until the first-half water break. The Mustangs spent most of the half weathering pressure. 

Eight minutes into the second half, the momentum changed. Off a corner, Omar Roman rose above the Vipers’ back line and headed home the equalizer. From that point on, the match became a tug-of-war in the midfield, with neither team able to maintain rhythm in the attacking third of the field. 

With three minutes remaining, senior leader David Bohdert was fouled on the left side of the box. Earning a short free kick, he stepped up and unleashed a curling rocket that screamed past the two-man wall and bent over the keeper’s outstretched hand into the top-right corner. 

The crowd erupted. Bohdert sprinted down the sideline, as his teammates mobbed him in celebration. In the final minutes, Wekiva’s back line sealed the win, clearing every Lake Buena Vista through ball that came their way. 

Assistant coach Jordain James said the halftime adjustments and emotional spark helped fuel the turnaround. 

“After our halftime speech, there were a few choosy vocabulary words, and everybody was motivated from there,” James said with a laugh. “We all really wanted this win… Our past coach, coached for the other team, so this one was circled on our calendar.” 

The victory capped off what has already one of the program’s strongest starts in recent years.  

Wekiva opened the season with a back and forth 3-3 draw at South Lake, then edged Osceola 1-0 behind the team’s first shutout. In week two, the Mustangs exploded offensively in a 5-0 rout of Evans, followed by a 2-1 win over Colonial. Their lone loss came against Oak Ridge, 2-1, but they responded two nights later with the comeback thriller over Lake Buena Vista. 

James believes their newfound resilience is no accident. 

“The key has been our dedication in winning,” James said. “We talked about it from last year, about just getting better from our 3-13 record… We’re just trying to improve in small ways.” 

Offensively, Harold Jimenez-Hernandez has led the charge with eight goals, while Roman has three goals and an assist. Playmaker Kevin Fuentes-Ortega has recorded four assists, slicing apart defenses from the midfield, while Bohdert, William Lucas and Fuentes-Ortega have also netted goals. 

James said the hot start has been a team effort. 

“So many players are standing out in their own ways,” he said. “Everyone touched the ball against Buena Vista. It was the perfect win.” 

Wekiva returns from the holiday break to host Cornerstone Charter Academy at 6 p.m. on Nov 2.