Wekiva’s boys soccer season continues to look different than any other in program history, and last Thursday night against Deltona was another example of how complete this Mustang group has become. 

“I’m impressed with our resilience and our skill level,” assistant coach Jordain James said. “A lot of them played for club or they played for other soccer teams, so they have that experience. Last year we probably lacked that. It lets them feel out the game more, and they’ve killed it. I couldn’t be more proud of these guys.” 

That experience showed immediately as Wekiva jumped on Deltona just one minute into the match. Harold Jimenez-Hernandez worked his way down the pitch with ease and set up Kevin Fuentes-Ortega, who finished cleanly to give the Mustangs an early 1-0 lead. 

From there, Wekiva controlled the tempo. For the next 19 minutes leading up to the water break, the Mustangs dictated possession and generated four more shots on goal, keeping Deltona pinned back in its own half even though none found the net. 

Three minutes after play resumed, Wekiva struck again. Omar Roman made a strong run up the pitch and met the goalkeeper at the ball, blasting a shot that deflected off the keeper’s hands and bounced near the goal. Roman stayed with the play, kept the ball in bounds and found Jimenez-Hernandez at the top of the box, where he ripped a screamer into the net to make it 2-0. 

The Mustangs continued to find space through the Deltona defense, controlling nearly 80% of the possession as the first half wore on. 

Any hope of a second-half response from Deltona was quickly shut down. Ricardo opened the half with back-to-back goals in quick succession, stretching the lead and breaking the game wide open. 

Fuentes-Ortega added his second goal of the night later in the half, continuing his strong performance. Before the final whistle, Luis Angeles buried his first goal of the season, sending his teammates into celebration as Wekiva finished off a dominant 6-0 shutout. 

The win was Wekiva’s eighth victory in its last nine matches and continued a stretch that has defined the Mustangs’ season. On Dec. 11, Wekiva put together a goal-scoring showcase in a 7-3 win over Ridgeview Academy, highlighted by a hat trick and an assist from Roman. Billy Pu Lopez added two goals in that match. 

Four days later, the Mustangs gutted out a defensive battle at home against Liberty, earning a 1-0 win with Roman scoring the lone goal. The following night, Wekiva faced its toughest test yet on the road against undefeated Olympia. The Mustangs suffered a 3-1 loss, conceding two late goals in a fast-paced back-and-forth battle, with Jeronimo Sanchez scoring Wekiva’s lone goal. 

Wekiva then bounced back with the emphatic shutout of Deltona. 

Jimenez-Hernandez has led the way, pacing the team with 10 goals while adding five assists. Roman has eight goals. Fuentes-Ortega has emerged as another key playmaker with four goals and six assists, as Wekiva continues to get production from across the roster. 

Defensively, the Mustangs have been just as impressive. They have not allowed more than three goals in any match this season and have outscored opponents 40-18, giving them a plus-22 goal differential. 

Wekiva sits at 11-2-1 with three games remaining. The Mustangs return from break on Jan. 8 to face Jones, a team they defeated 5-3 earlier this season. One day later, they host cross-town rival Apopka before closing the regular season Jan. 15 against Lake Minneola ahead of the district tournament.