Montclair soccer’s Victor Murillo now in the spotlight – Daily Bulletin

MONTCLAIR — Two years ago when Victor Murillo tried out for the Montclair boys soccer team as a sophomore, he recalls being somewhat overlooked.

But only briefly.

He has since become a dynamic goal scorer, leader and one of the best players in program history for the Cavaliers, who are ranked third in this week’s CIF-SS Division 1/2 poll after winning the Division 4 title last year.

Murillo did not play for Montclair his freshman year, choosing instead to play academy soccer.

HIs sophomore year, when he was allowed to play simultaneously for Montclair and for an outside club, he chose to play for the Cavaliers.

“Coming in, everybody looked at me like a regular player,” Murillo said of coming out for the team two years ago. “Coach put me in for five minutes (on junior varsity) then he told me to be on the varsity team. I scored like two goals in five, 10 minutes. It still makes me laugh to this day.”

Montclair coach Jeff Joines recalls that Murillo may not have been aware, but he made an impression on the coaching staff.

“He came out his freshman year and I liked him. His brother (Michael Sanchez) was on varsity,” Joines said. “He only came to a couple of practices then he made his decision (to play club only). But I was interested in him.”

Joines said he immediately saw the talent.

“I knew as a freshman that he had an amazing left foot,” Joines said. “He was an aggressive, powerful type of player. He was young and immature, but he has grown to not be so one-dimensional.”

Murillo went by Adrian (his middle name and his father’s name) his sophomore year, and scored a solid six goals and eight assists in 15 games during the COVID season that was shortened and delayed to the spring of 2021.

That sophomore season he said he especially enjoyed playing against older and bigger players whereas in club it was against players of the same age.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Murillo said. “I like playing against people who are bigger than me.”

Improvement was seen in each of the last two years.

Last year, he had 24 goals and 10 assists in 26 games, earning CIF-SS Division 4 player of the year honors.

This year, he’s averaging more than a goal per game with 23 goals and 13 assists in 19 games.

Murillo said he was always kicking, before he was born to when he was little and walking down the street and kicking cans. He won trophies for being the top goal scorer in youth soccer, so this is nothing new. And his love for the sport keeps him working hard and improving.

“You always have to push them (teammates) to be great. Before the game, I told them ‘if you work hard today you can rest tomorrow.’ They know I’m into the game,” Murillo said. “They know I’d break my leg for my teammates.”

Although if he took that literally, it would definitely not help his teammates.

Murillo doesn’t claim to be a nifty dribbler, who dribbles his way through opponents. But he has evolved as opponents have focused on stopping him.

Frequently the Cavaliers’ offense will play away from Murillo, so opponents aren’t double-teaming him all the time.

“We’ll just switch to one side,” he said. “I’ll just stay out wide where no one can see me and I’ll just find the middle.”

Joines said that it shows a maturity in Murillo. Even if the offense isn’t going through him at the moment, he believes that he will have chances to have an impact on the game.

“Anybody can score, we’re like a brotherhood,” Joines said. “It’s a maturity level. He knows he can’t do it on his own. He has good mental focus. He knows he’s a leader on this team.”

The 5-foot-10 Murillo is no longer a sophomore playing against seniors, but he looks forward to being considered an underdog in the playoffs against more established Division 1 programs from private schools and Orange County.

“I like going to Division 1 private schools because they doubt us,” Murillo said. “They think we don’t have what it takes to beat a team like them. People like us, we appreciate it more. I like putting my flag on their field.”

As for the future beyond this season, Murillo is undecided. Junior colleges are heavily recruiting him and he has professional options, but Joines is disappointed that more NCAA Division I schools aren’t recruiting him.