Accolades Achieved, Aguirre Near Next Step in Career

It wasn't a surprise to Madison High School boys soccer coach Gary Adair when Jon Aguirre was named the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year last week.

"You see good players with skill and ability, which he has has obviously got, but there are very few who can grab the game by the neck," Adair said. "That would be what stands out to me."

That ability helped the Dodgers take their first Morris County Tournament championship in school history. It was a banner year for the program as well as its star player, although it wasn't always so easy.

Both Aguirre and Adair said their relationship has evolved from tougher times earlier in midfielder's career. However, as Aguirre gets set for graduation and the next level, they have a solid relationship based on a lot of respect.

"We came to an understanding and realized the team could do something in states and counties, which we did," Aguirre said. "I see my coach as a really good friend; I can call and talk to him. The team won something this year, which it hasn't done in a while."

Aguirre also played in title games with his Performance Development Academy club team. He says his favorite memories, and the best time of his life so far, was going on trips to play in national title game with the club.

Aguirre and his team traveled to Texas the first year and California the second to play in the games. Though they would eventually lose both games (the second by a score of 1-0), he said the trip in general was amazing.

"Jon Aguirre is what you would call the hub of the whole team," said John Murphy, Aguirre's coach with Performance Development Academy, in a release. "He makes everyone around him better. Aguirre is a hard guy to find at any level—a midfield general who gets up and down both ways."

Aguirre will be taking his game to Duke, where he will play on scholarship for the Blue Devils men's soccer team. He already has a friend on the team– freshman Ryan Finley of Lumberton, who he played club soccer with.

"I'm really excited," Aguirre said. "I loved it when I went down there. I know a few of the guys going. ... I feel like I'm coming into a really good program, and hopefully it keeps growing."

Aguirre hopes that one day after being a student-athlete at Duke he can make a career out of playing soccer.

"The ideal is hopefully go overseas to Europe or South America and see if I can get tryouts ... I feel like if I can get in there, and hopefully prove myself and get better, I can start working my way up," he said.

But even if Aguirre does become a professional soccer star someday, he'll always remember Madison. He said he still likes to play on the fields he began playing on when he was 5 years old, getting people to play games when there are no organized ones to be found.

For Adair, he will always remember Aguirre for his personality.

"Just the way he would make me laugh," Adair said. "If you have ever had a chance to speak with him, he's very laid back. He has all the ability. To look at him, he's got it. He's in great physical shape. But you certainly realize his selflessness. He was really there for his teammate."