Soccer catches on at Farmington

FARMINGTON — Soccer manager Victor Pacheco, a special needs sophomore, reflects the enthusiasm with which the community has embraced the sport.

In addition to his managerial duties, Victor performs an impromptu dance to celebrate each time the Cardinals or Lady Cardinals score a goal. Victor is the team’s biggest cheerleader and while on the sideline coaches as much as any of the staff while a match is in progress.

“There’s just something about that kid. You see his smile, it immediately makes you happy. He’s obsessed with soccer,” said Farmington coach Tanner Feil.

Victor helps organize and set up practices and games. He never misses an opportunity to serve or rejoice over Cardinal success.

“He has a celebration for every goal. Every time we score a goal he does some kind of a dance,” Feil said. “He brings a lot of joy to everybody.”

Victor loves sports. His two favorites are NASCAR and soccer, but he’s quick to throw in his support for any athletic program Farmington has going.

“If you’re a coach, he’s going to be your best friend,” Feil said, explaining he was one of the first Farmington coaches to establish a relationship with Victor only to have that surpassed by outgoing head softball coach Randy Osnes.

“Coach Osnes kind of stole him from me. I think Coach Osnes is his best friend now, but I don’t mind being second place to Coach Osnes,” Feil said.

Victor shows up at Farmington football and basketball games to cheer on the Cardinals. In addition to Feil and Osnes, he’s built relationships with girls basketball coach Brad Johnson and athletic director Beau Thompson, who was head boys basketball coach until 2020.

“He’s a huge focal point across all of Farmington athletics. Everybody knows him, everybody loves him,” Feil said. “It’s impossible not to love him.”

Local fans, unaccustomed to soccer in its first year as a varsity sport at Farmington, caught on as the season progressed and began to generate an impact.

“I thought our fans were incredible this year. Being our first year as a varsity sport, it brought a lot of excitement and brought a lot of curiosity from the community,” Feil said.

The Cardinals started the year 4-1-1 coming into April before injuries affected them. The boys team finished 10-51 overall, and 5-3 in the 4A West qualifying for state in their first year as a varsity program.

According to Feil cheers from the stands bolstered the program as fans developed an understanding of the game.

“Once the crowd learned the game it really motivated and energized our kids on the field,” Feil said.

During the May 24 school board meeting, Board Member Jeff Oxford echoed those sentiments as he praised Feil and the soccer program.

“I don’t know that much about soccer other than you run too much,” Oxford said jokingly while explaining his enjoyment of the sport grew as a spectator this past season.

“I’m extremely proud of our soccer team. It’s fun to watch, very enjoyable. We should have been in that years ago,” Oxford said.

Feil is grateful Farmington invested in a soccer program with the construction of a $16 million sports complex including Cardinal Stadium and state-of-the-art soccer locker rooms.

“Soccer is a beautiful yet violent, aggressive game. It has a few moments of joy,” Feil said, describing those moments from memories etched in the minds of players, coaches and Cardinal fans from this season as “a powerful feeling of joy.”