2024 NewsTribune Boys Soccer Player of the Year: Mendota’s Johan Cortez

During their freshman and sophomore years, Mendota junior Johan Cortez and his classmates didn’t always take soccer as seriously as needed.

They’d goof around during practice and laugh during film sessions.

But after the Trojans went 21-3-2 and lost in a sectional semifinal last fall, Cortez and the rest of the junior group started to approach soccer in a different way.

“I think my freshman and sophomore years, I’d mess around more at practices or I wouldn’t take things seriously,” Cortez said. “But I knew coming into this year that we could do big things, so I knew I had to step up and be more mature not just for myself but for the whole team.”

This season, they were more serious during offseason workouts and in the weight room.

They focused more in practice.

They were more locked in during film sessions.

In fact, there were times Mendota coach Nick Myers wanted to log into his NFHS account to watch film and Cortez was already on scouting a future opponent.

“I think from a maturity standpoint he improved so much, and I think that helped us as a team,” Myers said. “There were a couple times last year I made the comment to him, ‘Whenever you decide to grow up and mature, we’re going to be unstoppable because when you take the game seriously, you’re very hard to stop.’ ”

Cortez was very hard to stop this year and so were the Trojans.

Cortez scored 28 goals, which ranked third in the area, and dished out an area-leading 28 assists – which is a Mendota single-season record – to help the Trojans to a 26-3-1 record and a third-place finish in the Class 1A state tournament.

For all he accomplished this season, Cortez is the 2024 NewsTribune Boys Soccer Player of the Year. It is the sixth consecutive season a Mendota player has earned the honor.

“I think it was definitely my best season so far,” Cortez said. “I think in the games, I changed the way the whole team played and how the team went forward. I think the more I was involved with the plays, the more chances we had at scoring.

“I knew I’d always find the runs by Cesar [Casas], Sebastian [Carlos] or Isaac [Diaz] up top. They knew whenever I got the ball I would be able to find them. I just wanted the ball and I think it created a lot of chances.”

Myers said the Mendota offense went as Cortez went.

“I think Johan is such a smart player,” Myers said. “He’s lived and breathed soccer since he was a little kid. He’s aware of situations and sometimes he can see things happening before they take place. He’s just a great offensive mind.”

Cortez also is an unusual talent in that he is equally adept at scoring and passing although he said he prefers to get an assist over a goal because it “just means more to me to have the feeling of helping a teammate score and have their moment.”

“It’s very rare that one of your main goal scorers also is your main assist person,” Myers said. “I think it shows how multi-functional Johan is. He can be our creator and playmaker, but at the same time he can step up and score goals. He’s an excellent passer and he knows where to get it to other players. He knows when the right time is to take it himself.

“What I’ve always appreciated about Johan is a lot of his goals come against top competition. He’s a player that rises to the occasion.”

Cortez showed that throughout Mendota’s postseason run.

He had a hat trick and an assist in the Trojans’ 6-0 regional final win. He scored a goal and had two assists in a 5-0 win in the sectional semifinal, recorded an assist in a 2-1 win in the sectional final, and he scored Mendota’s lone goal in regulation in the third-place game and scored his penalty kick to help the Trojans win 2-1.

“Throughout my high school career in big games and in the postseason, I have tended to assist or score in those games,” Cortez said. “What motivates me to do well in those games is knowing that in the postseason, if you don’t do well, that means the end of the season. I just give 100% and try my hardest. I tell myself it’s either do this or you have to wait all the way until next season to play again.

“This year, a lot of my friends are seniors. This team has been very special to me because I’ve grown up with these guys. Knowing it could be the last time we could all play together, I gave it my all every single game.”

After helping Mendota to its first state berth with a record-setting junior season, Cortez hopes to have another successful season to cap his career next fall.

“We’re hoping to go back to state,” Cortez said. “I think if we work hard like we did this year, it’s definitely a possibility.

“I hope to have a good last year. I just want to do what I can do best for the team.”