Wednesday, November 18, 2020
The Observer | www.theobserver.com
Sports & Recreation
9
Kearny’s Rojas an instant goal scoring machine slowly could start to see that he could play. He’s good on the ball and gets to the right spots. Before the 2020 high school He also connected well with the others.” soccer season began, no one Rojas said that he started to knew anything about Juan feel better about his status on Rojas. the team during the preseason. Not Bill Galka, the head “After the practices, I started coach at Kearny High School. to feel more comfortable,” Not his fellow teammates with said Rojas, who didn’t speak a the Kardinals. Not even Rojas word of English before he arhimself. rived in the United States five You see, Rojas, a junior at years ago. “Coach (Galka) gave Kearny, didn’t play soccer for me a chance and I showed that the last two years. I could play. Everything just “The first year, I wasn’t in went well from there.” shape,” said Rojas, who came Did it ever. to Kearny from his native CoRojas has emerged as one of lombia when he was 11 years the best goal scoring threats in old. “I wasn’t paying attention the entire state of New Jersey. to anything. I didn’t want to He has exploded for 23 goals play soccer. All I wanted to do and has added nine assists in was play video games.” just 12 games. As a sophomore, Rojas went In the past week, Rojas has back to his native Colombia scored 10 goals, including an to live with his father and astounding four goals in the little sister, while his mother Kardinals’ 11-0 win over Fair remained in Kearny with his Lawn in the opening round grandparents. of the NJSIAA North Jersey So when Rojas came back Group IV state playoffs Saturto Kearny to begin his junior day afternoon. Rojas had two year, he was unsure about goals in each of the prior three whether he would even make games against Clifton (a loss) the varsity. and Memorial and Dickinson, “To be honest, I was really both victories. nervous,” Rojas said. “I reFor his efforts, Rojas has ally didn’t think I’d make the been selected as The Observer team.” Athlete of the Week for the Rojas had played club soccer past week. for Kearny United/Thistle, but Needless to say, Rojas is he didn’t know how he would surprised by his goal scoring perform for the storied Kearny prowess. High program. “I never thought I could do Before preseason tryouts this,” Rojas said. “When I first began, Galka never saw Rojas got on the team, I was trying play. to find my way. But Coach “I heard he was a good Galka and Coach (Scott) Milplayer,” Galka said. “I met him lar taught me a lot of things a couple of times, but I never that helped me. They taught saw him.” me how to check my back and During the preseason, limited check for the ball.” this season to only two weeks Rojas said that he has develdue to the coronavirus COVoped solid camaraderie with ID-19 pandemic, Rojas started teammate Miguel Rodriguez, a to make a positive impression. senior who has 13 goals and 13 “He was a very good techniassists this season. cal player,” Galka said. “He “Having Miguel as company wasn’t lighting it up, but you
By Jim Hague ogsmar@aol.com
Photo by Jim Hague
Kearny junior forward Juan Rojas.
has really helped me a lot,” Rojas said of the senior. “We have good teamwork together. I don’t want to be the guy who wants to dribble it through everyone.” Galka is pleased with the way the formerly unknown Rojas has rapidly developed. “He’s been very good,” Galka said. “I turned to him the other day and asked him how many goals he scored in the game. He said he had four. He scores and you tend to forget that he is the one who scored them. He’s a good finisher. He’s in the box and is able to get the ball from the corners.” If the Kardinals (10-2) played a full slate of games this season instead of the truncated schedule caused by the COVID, Rojas might
have challenged for the single season goal scoring record set by Michael Millar, the brother of current assistant coach Scott Millar and son of longtime head coach John Millar. Michael Miller, a high school All-American during his days at Kearny, scored 34 goals in 2004. Rojas will have another year in 2021 to challenge the record. “He’s a good kid with a good sense of humor,” Galka said. “He enjoys playing. He gets along with the other guys very well. I wish we could have had him for the last two years. He would have been even better.” Rojas said that he was excited to leave Colombia and come to Kearny five years ago. “My mom was looking for
me to get a better opportunity to go to college,” Rojas said. “That’s my main goal. I want to get a scholarship to go to college. I was excited to come here because it was a brand new start. I had to learn a whole new language. I had to meet new people. My family helped me a lot.” And now, as the Kardinals move on in the state tournament to face Memorial this week (the game was scheduled for Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Kearny High School), Rojas wants one more thing more than setting a goal scoring record. “I want us to win the states,” Rojas said. As long as Rojas keeps finding the back of the net, anything is possible.
