Sports Spotlight: Greene Central’s Nunez leader of the Rams boys soccer herd
Been training with ODP and averaging over 4 points per game this fall
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - Greene Central boys soccer is coming off a trip to the state final last season. They graduated a few of their stars but senior Ariel Nunez is back and leading the Rams again.
We feature him in this week’s Pepsi Sports Spotlight.
“I’d always played up with my brother, he’d score all the goals and I really wasn’t doing much,” says Greene Central senior Ariel Nunez, “But, growing up playing against older kids really helped me because when I played against kids my age I was ahead of them. One step ahead of them all the time.”
The step ahead helped Greene Central senior Ariel Nunez find a spot with the United States Olympic Development Program.
“Being exposed to so much different talent, makes me realize what maybe I am missing out, and add things to my game,” says Nunez, “Helps me be a better player.”
It has translated to the high school ranks. Nunez averaged nearly 2 assists and a goal and a half per game his junior season.
“He’s really good with his right and now he’s just as good with his left. It’s things over the years you just see grown and you are just like wow,” says Greene Central head coach Ricardo Arias, “No one asked you to do that, no one asked you to get that extra work, no one asked you to get that workout before the actual game.”
He helped lead the Rams to their first region title and first trip to the state final.
“I look back at it every month,” says Nunez, “Just watch all the videos and see how special of a run it was. I mean I am never going to forget that.”
This year’s Rams roll through Nunez who is distributing at will.
“We know the level he is in. He wants to get the people around him to that level,” says Arias, “In practice if we are choosing teams he is like give me whoever. I don’t care to have the A-team, I don’t care to have the B-team he talks to the guys. The team looks up to him.”
Through nine games this fall he has 40 points.
“Two, three man mark him,” says Arias, “that’s all they can do.”
“Whoever is open is going to get it, it doesn’t matter to me who scores as long as we win as a team that’s all that matters to me,” says Nunez, “I’m not here to get no stats on my own.”
And he hopes to lead the Rams one step further than last year.
“It is my senior year, I haven’t gotten used to it yet I don’t think,” says Nunez, “But, it’s special because I really want to do something special this year, this last year, hopefully win states.”
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