Colin Nguyen prepares to take a corner kick. 

Catholic High’s Colin Nguyen isn’t hard to find on the soccer field.

Whether he is playing as a defender or midfielder, the hard-working senior is usually going to be near the ball and dictating the game, either by his words or actions.

Nguyen, who started playing soccer at the age of 4, will be the first to tell you that he isn’t always the friendliest person on the field.

“I would say that I’m more of a leader. I’m not the nicest on the team, but I’m always making sure that things are getting done,” he said.

When he is on the field, things most certainly get done.

After playing on defense for much of the 2021/22 season, Nguyen was able to move to his preferred spot in his senior year. As a creative midfielder, the senior is able to control the tempo of the game much like the quarterback does on a football team.

“We have great ball players on our team, so if I can move the ball up to those guys then I will but if I need to be more of that rock on defense then I’m going to do that too,” Nguyen explained. “I’m the talker on the field, always trying to make sure that everyone is in their place.”

Soccer players can usually be judged by how they hold themselves when they have the ball. Nguyen always maintains his composure, even under pressure from two or more defenders. He never drops his head, always scanning the field for a pass or a dribble that can advance his team down the field.

To reach that level of comfort with the ball, Nguyen spent his offseason putting in hours of work each day.

“During the summer and offseason, I stayed with the ball at my feet,” he said. “I spent a lot of time at the PepperPlex fields, making sure that I was comfortable with the ball and able to keep my head up and looking around the entire time. If you bring pressure to yourself, you’re going to mess up, so I just worked on being calm with the ball.”

Nguyen said that what he loves most about soccer is the way it brings out his passion.

“I like the passion that it brings out of me. I love playing with my teammates and the emotional ups and downs that you get,” he said.

Nguyen said that he grew up watching some of soccer’s greatest athletes, choosing Cristiano Ronaldo as a player he molded his game after.

“It’s all about his confidence,” Nguyen said when asked why he chose Ronaldo. “When I was younger, I really lacked confidence but once I scored my first goal, it improved. I would always watch Ronaldo highlights because I wanted to have that confidence to step up and be the leader that I am today. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have the passion or confidence that I have today.”

That passion and confidence has already gotten Nguyen the soccer skills necessary to make it at the next level, so his immediate focus is on securing the right grades to make the jump to the college soccer ranks.

“Right now my focus is more on my studies. I need to get the GPA up to get to a good college. I’ve reached out to some people but my focus is on the academic side right now. I have a lot of options and I still have time to choose, but one major that has stuck with me is business and accounting. I’ve always wanted to do that since I’m good with numbers. There’s a lot of soccer programs I can go to. I don’t care about where I go as long as I get the opportunity to prove myself.”

Before Nguyen turns his focus to his college dreams, he has a few matters left to handle at the high school level.

The Panthers ended the regular season with an 8-6-4 record, entering the postseason as the No. 16 team in Division IV. Being placed into the top-half of the Division IV bracket means that Catholic High will host Lafayette Christian School in the first round of the playoffs. 

As his final year of prep soccer draws to a close, Nguyen said that his goal for the year is to enjoy every moment.

“My personal goal is to just have fun,’ he said. “It’s my senior year, you only get one more chance to play with your teammates so you just want to leave it out on the field.”

The Panthers will host LCA in the Division IV playoffs bi-district round, which must be played between February 1-5. The Knights finished the season with an 8-9-1 record and finishing 5th in district play. 

The winner will advance to face either No. 1 Isidore Newman or No. 32 Riverside Academy in the regional round.