3 Pacelli athletes sign college soccer letters of intent
The pain of losing a senior season due to the coronavirus pandemic was softened, if only slightly, for three Pacelli boys soccer players on Friday.
Seniors Brayden Wood, Ben Kempffer and Isaias Zamudio-Facio each signed letters of intent for college soccer programs in a ceremony at The Land, Pacelli’s school gym.
Kempffer signed for Division II North Georgia, Wood signed for Division II Montevallo and Zamudio-Facio signed for the NAIA’s Point University.
For the three seniors, the day means one last positive memory, and a chance to end a canceled senior season on a high.
“I’m (signing) with two of my friends that I’ve known for almost 10 years,” Zamudio-Facio said. “It’s really unreal. It’s something that’s going to stick out for the rest of my life.”
Wood, a forward with 10 goals and four assists in 2020, was the Ledger-Enquirer’s All-Bi-City Offensive Player of the Year in 2019, as a junior. He missed one game, traveling with his Olympic Development Program team to Costa Rica to face some of that country’s top talent.
“We played against four pro teams,” Wood said. “They were phenomenal. They’re so much faster, and it was good to see before I go to college.
“My goal is to play pro, so it’s just a totally different level of soccer that you can’t even imagine until you’re on the field.”
Kempffer, a goalkeeper who also played locally for CFC Red Star, was an honorable mention last year.
Zamudio-Facio was a defender for the Vikings, who as a team conceded just one goal in five games.
The Vikings were 4-0-1 before COVID-19 shut down spring sports. They scored 10 goals in two separate matches, with wins over Northside, Harris County and Shaw.
This story was originally published July 17, 2020 at 1:45 PM.
