When Fernando Solano first enrolled at High Tech High School in North Bergen, the school did not offer a varsity soccer team. That fact bothered the native of Weehawken, who wanted to get a quality education at the school, but also wanted to play his favorite sport.
"I figured that there were enough kids interested in playing in the school," Solano said. "So I passed around a petition to see how many were interested."
It took two years for school officials to listen to Solano’s plea, but it finally worked. The school decided to field a varsity soccer team, on a strictly limited basis, last year.
At the same time, Jose "Bumper" Gonzalez, a teacher and girls’ basketball coach at the school, was asked by school officials to oversee the fledgling soccer operations, to see if there really was enough interest to field a competitive team. There was only one problem. Gonzalez was a baseball and basketball coach. He didn’t know much about soccer.
"I was trying to figure out as much as I could about the game," Gonzalez said. "They needed someone to coach them, so I said that I would do it. But I did a lot of learning about the sport from the kids."
When Solano first attended a practice, there weren’t enough people to field a team.
"We had about four or five kids there for the first practice," Solano said.
Soon, a message was sent to the remainder of the school that a team was being formed.
"I was going to keep anyone who tried out," Gonzalez said. "I wasn’t going to make any cuts at all."
So the first year of High Tech soccer included all 25 kids that came out — 17 boys and eight girls.
Without strictly a girls’ team, the new Lasercats’ team had to feature members of both genders.
"I made it clear from the beginning that we were establishing the foundation for the future," Gonzalez said. "I told everyone that the girls were key essential parts to our team from the start."
That’s asking a lot, especially from boys who have no choice but to accept the girls as teammates.
But according to Solano, the boys at High Tech didn’t even flinch.
"I think it’s all about talent and skill," Solano said. "Gender shouldn’t matter. If they can play and they can help us, then they belong on the team."
"I always considered the girls a part of the team," Gonzalez said. "I don’t think any of the boys looked at them differently. They were on the team 100 percent. They weren’t on the team as tokens. The guys understood that. They were good about it."
The Lasercats played only 12 games a year ago, strictly as an independent, just to get their feet wet. When the 2002 season approached, the Lasercats were entered as a member of the HCIAA Seglio Division (the Group I and Group II enrollment sized schools from Hudson County), much like High Tech is for boys’ and girls’ basketball, as well as baseball and softball.
The number of girls on the boys’ varsity team has dwindled, cut in half from eight to four. However, all four play major roles on the team, with three of them acting as starters.
One of them, freshman defender Sarah Davie, has emerged as a solid performer. Senior Sonja Wajih (pronounced WAA-GEE) has been a two year starter along the back line. Freshman Cassaundra Abousamak and sophomore Monica Gonzalez (no relation to the coach) are also contributors to the team.
"They all played crucial minutes," Gonzalez said. "They’re on the team because they deserve it."
With sophomore Ben Jacqueney (pronounced JACK-QUEN-AY) leading the scoring barrage with 26 goals and Solano adding 16, the Lasercats have been a hit in their first full year of varsity soccer, posting a 16-5 record. They’ve been so much of a success that they will face Hoboken for the HCIAA Seglio Division championship Sunday, Nov. 17 at Ahern Veterans Stadium in Bayonne.
"It has been a very interesting year," Gonzalez said. "The girls have had really had a positive impact."
How much? Try this on for size. The Seglio Division coaches recently selected an All-County team and chose Davie for the first team, meaning that she is the first girl in Hudson County athletic history to earn All-County honors in a boys’ sport.
"I think there is one word that sums it all up," Davie said. "It’s WOW! I really don’t think it’s sunk in yet. Part of me still can’t believe it. Since I knew that I was playing with the boys, I knew I would have to step it up a little more. I wasn’t worried about playing with the boys. They accepted me right away. They never judged me because I was a girl."
However, things were different with the opposition.
"In the beginning, when we were playing teams for the first time, they looked at us and said, ‘They must be desperate for players, because they’re playing girls.’ But when I took the ball away from them, they were stunned. When the competition got harder, I just went with them."
Obviously, Davie ended up gaining respect, because of her post-season honor.
Jacqueney said that he paid no attention to having girls on his team, because he was always used to it.
"I always played co-ed soccer, since I was little kid in the Hoboken Recreation league," Jacqueney said. "I never played on an all boys’ team before. I honestly doubted that the girls could handle it, but Sarah Davie is so much better than what I expected."
"She’s the best defender I’ve ever played with," Solano said.
Everyone involved with the High Tech program cannot fathom the idea that they’re playing for a county championship in their first full year of existence.
"It’s jaw dropping," said Jacqueney, who was a goalkeeper on last year’s team. "We have a chance to start a tradition at High Tech."
"This means so much," Solano said. "Some people don’t even know we have a team at High Tech, but we have a winning team."
With girls. Talented ones. History making ones.
"It’s really too much to imagine," Davie said. "In the beginning of the season, no one took us seriously. We were a team, wearing purple uniforms, with a bunch of girls. Everyone was laughing at us. But we’re getting the last laugh now."
They sure are. — Jim Hague