MOHAVE COUNTY – Mohave Community College Men’s Soccer will wrap up its inaugural regular season on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at nationally ranked Arizona Western College, but it won’t be the end of Bighorn Soccer for 2024. Following the Bighorns’ 2-2 draw with Eastern Arizona College on Tuesday, Oct. 15, Mohave Community College Men’s Soccer has officially clinched a playoff spot in Region 1 and will host the semi-final match at home in Bullhead City.
Luis Mario Medina scored both goals for the Bighorns against Eastern Arizona College, assisted by Denny Bernal and Jorge Quintero on the first and Brayan Lino on the second. With the Bighorns securing second place in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC), they will be hosting a Region 1 playoff game.
“One of our goals was to get one of those first two spots to be able to host a semi-final game, and we’ve accomplished that,” Valencia says. “These guys have set the bar high for the next generations of Bighorns Men’s Soccer. They not only qualified for the playoffs, they’re getting the opportunity to host the semi-final game. We’re very excited about that.”
Valencia says the program’s goal was always to win a championship.
“That was the goal from the beginning,” he says. “We believed it, and while I don’t know how many people believed it, we did. And now here we are trying to accomplish that goal.”
While the Bighorns don’t yet have a slated opponent for the semi-final match in Bullhead City, that game is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29. Valencia hopes the crowd’s energy that night matches the energy on display against Eastern Arizona College.
“I just want to thank the fans,” he says. “It was loud today, especially in the second half. It was a fun environment and the second half was great with people cheering on our guys. I want to thank everyone who came out during the season and want to invite them out on Oct. 29. The matches are fun and they’re tough so, hopefully, everyone who came throughout the season can come celebrate with us when we host the semi-finals.”
However, there’s one regular-season match left before the playoffs begin. For the Bighorns, that means traveling to Yuma to take on nationally ranked Arizona Western College. Arizona Western is the top team in D1 of the ACCAC and is ranked No. 5 in the country for the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The Bighorns played Arizona Western for the first time in September, losing 2-0.
“It’ll be a tough match,” Valencia says. “We’re excited about another opportunity to play against a top team. Hopefully, we come with the energy we need for a complete performance.”
Stay tuned for more on the Bighorns’ playoff schedule, including opponents. Stay up to date with Mohave Community College Men’s Soccer at athletics.mohave.edu and Instagram.com.
