Noki Lam
Senior forward Marco Bottene tied Costa’s single-season scoring record with 31 goals throughout the 31 matches the team played in the 2023-24 season. Bottene tied Costa alum Josh Gaudiano’s 2018-19 record-breaking season and averaged one goal per game throughout Costa’s regular season, CIF Southern Section, and CIF Regional playoff matches.
Bottene was a key contributor to the Mustangs’ offensive dominance throughout the season, scoring nearly 40% of the Mustangs’ 84 total team goals. According to Bottene, his teammates’ offensive proficiency enabled him to get offensive looks.
“Having a great team around me definitely helped me a lot,” Bottene said. “I scored a good amount of my goals off of penalties and tap-ins that would not have been possible without all of the quality players around me.”
Last year, Bottene, a Manhattan Beach native, transferred to Costa from Loyola High School to complete the second half of his high school athletic career. According to Bottene, he built the chemistry that allowed him to command the offensive end from the relationships he had with many of his Costa teammates that started in his early childhood.
“I have been playing with many of my teammates at Mira Costa since I was very young,” Bottene said. “Knowing my teammates so well made it easier to make the adjustment to such an incredible program.”
According to Bottene, he had his sights set on reaching the scoring record after tallying four goals in the Mustangs’ home opener against West Torrance.
“I had the goal of breaking the record after I had felt that I had set the pace offensively after the first match,” Bottene said. “After that game, I had my main focus on team wins but also had my mind set on reaching the record.”
Bottene is committed to playing Division One soccer at the University of Pennsylvania in the 2024-25 season. Bottene says he will try to carry over his success in high school to college play by taking the process a step at a time.
“I firstly need to do my best to try and earn my starting spot,” Bottene said. “It’s not easy to play as a freshman so just to be playing is a big step for me.”
According to Bottene, he is proud of the record and the remarkable scoring pace that led to his goal total. Bottene hopes that he can inspire upcoming Costa players to chase his scoring achievement.
“I definitely hope that the younger generation of players will try and hit the same milestone as me,” Bottene said. “It could truly be anyone at any time, but it will not be an easy feat.”
Leave a Reply