GAMES
RANKINGS
Aldine's Gewlaymi Gonzalez
HUSTLIN': Gonzalez is a bona fide star at Aldine
“My dad trained and coached me and my siblings for as long as I can remember,” she said. “I’ve loved this sport since I was five-years-old and growing up playing soccer has helped me in all aspects of my life.
Doug Brown (VYPE)
“Soccer trains you to battle through the ups and downs of life outside the pitch. The sport keeps me motivated, whether it’s in the classroom or trying to help my teammates get better. I feel like I’m a good teammate.”
Aldine finished second in district a year ago, but Gonzalez wants more.
“I want to get past the first round of the playoffs,” she said. “I’m going to do whatever I can to accomplish that goal, whether it’s scoring goals or getting my teammates involved.”
2024-25 Aldine High School Girls SoccerDoug Brown (VYPE)
The junior has expectations of playing at the college level and possibly professionally.
“I would love to play for my favorite team... the San Diego Wave,” she said. “My favorite player has to be Alex Morgan. I’ve followed her my entire life.”
The Chick-fil-A fanatic loves nuggets, fries and a Sunjoy before and after games and plugs into “Hustlin” by Rick Ross to get amped for a match.
“I’m just here to rep my school,” she said. “We are Aldine... we are strong and never give up.”
MacArthur's Madisson Duran
IN THE GENES: Soccer comes naturally to MacArthur's Duran
“It all began with my parents’ support,” she said. “My whole family played, and they’ve always been there for me as I try to carry on the tradition. I feel like soccer makes me who I am. Anytime I haven’t been playing, it’s almost like I’ve lost a part of myself. Since I’m the middle child, I also try to set a good example for my younger siblings, so they can feel the same way.”
Of course, it took some time for her to develop a knack for the sport.
“When I first started playing, when I was about six or seven, I didn’t know what I was doing,” laughed Duran. “I was just on the field with no idea how to play for my team at the time. But they needed a goalkeeper, and they chose me – the tiniest girl on the field.
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“After that, I just ran with it. At this point, though, I can play any position on the field if needed. But I’ve been a goalie since the beginning, so that’s where I normally am.”
Duran isn’t the “tiny girl” she once was. She’s made quite a name for herself between the posts, evidenced by her exceptional performance last year that earned her District 14-6A Goalkeeper of the Year honors – the third consecutive year she received such an award.
But for Duran, it’s not all about the accolades.
“One of the best memories I have with this team is easily from my freshman year when we went to Six Flags,” she said. “We went on all the rides, and we convinced one of my teammates, who was afraid of heights, to sit in the front seat of a roller coaster with us.
“She literally passed out, and we all thought it was so funny. To this day, I’ll remind her of it, and we’ll both laugh. It’s those types of little experiences that mean the most, and they’re the ones you remember the longest.”
As a team, MacArthur has finished atop the district standings each of the last five years, most recently going 14-0 last winter, which extended their district win streak to 34 games.
2024-25 MacArthur High School Girls SoccerBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
However, they’ve faced challenges in making deep playoff runs, often due to a tough opening-round opponent from Conroe ISD – most recently, College Park, where the Lady Generals narrowly fell 2-1.
So, what will it take for them to break that early-exit stigma?
“We need to be stronger, both physically and mentally,” said Duran. “Once we get to the playoffs, our minds and bodies need to be more stable – especially in that first round. That comes with the belief we have in each other and in ourselves. We’re right there in a lot of these games, so we can’t put our heads down at that point.”
With Duran in goal, and a talented squad taking the field this year, another district title is likely in the cards for MacArthur.
But they’ll have even greater aspirations in the weeks to come.