Mohave Community College Men’s Soccer finishes inaugural season as second-ranked team in Conference

MOHAVE COUNTY – The inaugural season of Mohave Community College Men’s Soccer is in the books, with the Bighorns finishing second overall in Division I of the fiercely-competitive Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC). Men’s Head Coach Camilo Valencia says the Bighorns will move into next season with a solid foundation of talent and experience that is sure to impress both fans and opponents come August 2025.

The Bighorns finish the inaugural season with an overall record of 7-6-1 and a conference record of 6-3-1. That lands Mohave Community College Men’s Soccer as the second-ranked team in Division I ACCAC standings. Only nationally ranked Arizona Western College, ranked sixth in the country, finished the season with a better conference record.

“We learned a lot during this first season, from every angle,” Valencia says. “We had a team full of confidence and talent, and our players lived up to expectations. We knew we could win big games and stay competitive with the top teams we faced. We not only did that, we earned second place in the ACCAC, staying ahead of teams with a lot of history and resources. That shows our team was a contender and a fun team to watch.”

Valencia noted the performance of goalkeeper Pablo Saavedra throughout the season, calling him one of the top keepers in the conference, as well as Luis Mario Medina, the conference’s top scorer for the regular season. He also applauded the contributions from the Bighorns’ four sophomore players Gabriel Jimenez, Jorge Quintero, Matias Seymour and Luis Mario Medina.

“We were very happy with the experience that was brought from our four sophomores to help build a foundation for the program and we’ll always be thankful for all they did for us,” Valencia says. “We hope to remain in touch as they move forward, so that we can keep celebrating their successes as they move on.”

Based on their record, the Men’s Soccer team performed well enough to make the playoffs had this not been its first year of competition. The NJCAA does not allow first-year teams to play in the post-season.

Although the College has been an NJCAA member for two years, it did not field a team in 2023 in order to allow the College more time to complete appropriate student-housing. So, since the Bighorns postponed the inaugural year of play until 2024, the team is not eligible for the post-season until 2025.

Valencia expects the team to be a contender next year, and fans can expect a team with talent in addition to experience with big games and a track record of successes in big moments. He also thanked the fans for all of their support this year at Firebird Field, on social media and throughout the community.

“We have plenty of highlights to show from this first year and now our job is to keep recruiting this way and keep bringing top talent to Bullhead City,” Valencia says. “We already have a lot to build on for next year. Freshman comprised most of this year’s squad, so we’ll keep improving through the spring and enter next season with a ton of experience. They’ll know what to expect, what to do in intense moments, what to do in difficult situations and how to manage games.”

That experience goes a long way in the ACCAC due to the conference’s competitive nature.

“This is a league where you can’t take any games off,” Valencia says. “It’s a league where if you make a mistake, it’ll be a goal against you. The way we prepare for games and face adversity has been a great challenge but it’s been fun. We want to wish all the ACCAC teams moving into the playoffs the best of luck. It’s been a joy competing this season and we look forward to building on these relationships of mutual respect in the years to come.” Stay up to date with Mohave Community College Men’s Soccer at athletics.mohave.edu and Instagram.com.