By Jack Brooks & Eric Brodkin
Staff Writers
Boys soccer junior center midfielder Marco Bottene received Maxpreps High School Player of
the Week, along with five other male athletes from around the United States. Bottene received
this award for his outstanding on-field efforts during the week of Dec. 26-Jan 1.
United Soccer Coaches uses statistics from Maxpreps to nominate six males and five females to
represent the high school players of the week. According to Bottene this award means a lot to
him.
“I’m super grateful for the award, and it shows that all my hard work is finally starting to pay off,”
Bottene said. “However, I’m not satisfied yet. I always have the motivation to improve as a better
athlete both on and off the field.”
Bottene found a passion for soccer at a very young age. He played several sports such as
football, basketball and lacrosse but soon realized that he found the most joy in soccer.
According to Bottene, watching Brazil play in the world cup with his dad was his favorite thing to
do as a kid.
“I played a bunch of different sports when I was kid, but I fell in love with soccer,” Bottene said.
“Millions of people across the globe play the beautiful sport of soccer, and that makes soccer
different from all of the rest. My future goals for soccer are to play NCAA Division 1 college
soccer. Ultimately, I’ve always wanted to become a professional soccer player and am working
hard to achieve those goals.”
Bottene transferred from Loyola High School toward the end of his sophomore year. He was a
big part of the Loyola team’s success, starting on varsity both years and contributing to their CIF
championship appearance. According to Bottene, transferring to Costa was a good move for his
soccer career going forward.
“I am really glad I made the switch from Loyola to Costa,” Bottene said. “I liked playing on the
Loyola team, but here at Costa, it is just a much better experience. Plus, I’m happy to be closer
to home and friends.”
After transferring, Bottene was recently cleared to play with Costa. On the weekend of Dec.
27-29, Bottene helped Costa win the Laguna Hills tournament by scoring seven goals in five
games. According to the Daily Breeze, Bottene made the biggest impact for Costa’s team during
the tournament.
“It felt amazing to finally be able to play for Costa and help them win the tournament,” Bottene
said. “I was able to capitalize on my chances, and it felt really good to score some important
goals to help my team succeed.”
Bottene has been a key part of the Mustangs’ 16-3-2 record, scoring 11 goals in the 10 games
that he has played and helping lead the team to victory in their last five games. Bottene stays
confident and plans to give it his all during the rest of the season so he can lead the team far
into the playoffs.
“My experience with the Costa team has been going great, and I love all my teammates on and
off the field,” Bottene said. “The dynamic of the team here is unique because we are able to joke
around and have fun, while also being able to flip the switch and work hard when we need to.”
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