Compton also has a first-year coach who took over the program in August. Marlene Lopez-Gonzalez has only coached her own daughters soccer teams, but the Compton teacher wanted to step for the players when the school didn’t have a coach.
“We’re just going to bring our A-game to the best of our ability,” Lopez-Gonzalez said. “It’s about building these players up with positive feedback and reinforcement. We can’t promise a win, but it could happen.”
With just 23 girls in the program, and only a varsity team to play on, Lopez-Gonzalez will rely a lot on returning team leaders Monique Naranjo, Estrella Banuelos, Marlen Bravo, Deserae Garcia and Jessica Lora.