SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
With Maggie Feil resigning after one season as St. Michael’s head girl’s soccer coach, Camarena becomes the fourth different head coach in a row after serving previously as an assistant with the girls and boys soccer program at the school.
The girls have won five state championships, all under Ed Veile as head coach. After winning state with an independent team in 1997, he followed up with overall championships in 2001, 2007, 2009 and 2013. When he resigned, Robyn Serge was hired and coached three years, but after she resigned after losing 2-1 and 1-0 to Albuquerque Hope Christian in the state finals, the program has had three straight head coaches. one who remained for two years and two that lasted one year each.
Camarena’s youngest daughter, Monse Leija-Camarena, played under Serge for two years and her father was the assistant coach. She and her sister, Adriana, were also members of the swimming team.
Thus, Alfonso becomes head coach of the Lady Horsemen for the first time. He takes over a rather young experienced team that graduated only three players and comes off a 16-7 overall season that ended with a 4-3 setback to Socorro in the state 3A tournament semifinals. Prior to that, St. Michael’s has represented itself well on the pitch, losing in the state championship final twice to Albuquerque Hope Christian and twice to Albuquerque Sandia Prep, three times by 1-0 overtime scores.
Alfonso was born and raised in GuadalajaraJalisco, Mexico, and soccer was his game growing up. He coached numerous times in different levels and attended Club DeporitvosGuadalajara Chivas. He relocated to Santa Fe in 1985 and then coached in the Santa Fe Adult Men’s League and for the Northern New Mexico Soccer Club. He also coached youth soccer here as well as with the various club level teams.
At St. Michael’s, he was an assistant with both the girls and boys programs before resigning after the 2018 campaign. Now he becomes the fifth new head coach since Velieresigned in 2012. Learning the game, he trained under Diego Mercado and Alfonso Pontocalo.
Overall, the Lady Horsemen have been 139-47-3 overall since play began. They have been 70-11-1 in one district and 57-27-2 in the current one. They are 12-9 in the playoffs, and 12-13 on neutral fields. At home, they own a record of 67-13-1 and are 59-21-2 in road matches. They have been very successful against area teams, going undefeated against the likes of Santa Fe High, Capital, Santa Fe Indian School and Robertson, but with losing marks against Hope Christian and Sandia Prep.
Sandia Prep has won state seven times, two more than the Huskies. Santa Fe Prep and Albuquerque Bosque School have won twice, and it was the Griffins who broke the long district win streak held by St. Michael’s, but who have lost four of 19 with one tie versus the Lady Horsemen.
Alfonso is a graduate of the University of de Guadalajara in Mexico and majored in chemistry.
St. Michael’s loses one of its leading players, captain and midfielder Daisy Ramney Smith, as well as defender Amelia Esquibel and striker Chloe Liebermann, but return a quality cast that has gone through several head coaches yet has the talent to have another successful campaign, and is thankful to land another coach as practice shortly begins in this time of coronavirus pandemic.
Back is junior Milena Keene for her second season as goalkeeper, senior striker Francis Schneider in her fourth season with the varsity, versatile freshman Juda Lujan, junior defender Claire Patton, sophomore midfielder Lauryn Pecos, sophomore defender FarrahBulker, sophomore midfielder Grace Sandoval, senior striker Olivia Farnar, sophomore defender Logan Hunt, freshman Elsa Smith, Daisy’s sister, sophomore defender Logan Hunt, sophomore midfielder Gabriella (Gabby) Farrar, and freshman Cameron Gantt, whose father Taylor Gantt, recently resigned as school president. Patton figures to be the back-up goalie.
But probably the key returnee is senior striker Rachel Morgan. She plays the field, has quickness, defends well, and can find the goal against tight defenses. Daisy Smith was team captain last season and the role this time might belong to Morgan.
