More Top Picks Best Bmx Bikes For Adults
Don’t forget, senior forward Jonathan Magana started out as an apprentice for Bloom.
Before making his signature moves, Magana was a sophomore, learning from an ideal role model in a more experienced and battle-tested forward in senior Christian Munoz.
How much did that time help?
“He influenced me a lot with my game,” Magana said of Munoz, who scored over 100 career goals. “He showed me if you really want a goal, you have to be willing to do everything for it.
“He said if you’re not hungry, by the end of the day, you are going to be filled with regret.”
Magana, the 2023 Daily Southtown Boys Soccer Player of the Year, walks away with no regrets. He tallied 37 goals and 12 assists as Bloom (25-2) set a single-season program record for wins and reached a second straight Class 3A sectional championship game.
In time, Magana turned into a fitting heir in production and efficiency for the Blazing Trojans. Munoz had 51 goals and 12 assists as Daily Southtown’s 2021 player of the year.
Magana managed nine goals and 10 assists as a sophomore alongside Munoz, eventually proving that imitation, indeed, is the sincerest form of flattery. And then some.
“He’s fearless,” Bloom coach Zach Radtke said. “Jonathan is an incredible player with a sensational ability to score in so many ways. He always believed he was a difference maker.
“Like Christian, he always knew he had the ability to score any way possible.”
Soccer is a game where elite talents create their own persona. That definitely applies here.
“I’d describe myself as very aggressive,” Magana said, indicating a warrior’s mentality. “Sometimes, I feel like I’m a one-man army. You see it out there in how I play.
“I have the power to change the game and the ability to motivate others to also change.”
In the postseason as a senior, Magana ended up scoring six goals in four games, including all four goals in a 4-1 victory over Andrew in a Class 3A Joliet West Sectional semifinal.
“Magana is a dangerous attacker surrounded by special players,” Andrew coach Loren Zolk said. “He led this incredible attacking team by example. His skill in tight spaces and ability to score is what gives defenders problems in the final third and inside the box.”
Overall, Magana finished his three-year varsity career with 81 goals and 32 assists.
“He’s extremely dynamic,” Stagg coach Mike Kealy said. “Every opponent must account for his presence and ability to score.”
More Top Picks Balance Boards
Reflecting on his journey, Magana said playing in Munoz’s shadow provided a boost. According to Magana, “by my junior season, I was really hungry to make a name for myself.”
Last season as a junior, Magana totaled 35 goals and 10 assists, forming a devastating one-two punch with junior forward Omar Ortiz. This season, Ortiz had 25 goals and 27 assists.
Their bond was intense, direct, complementary and, eventually, very supportive.
“I truly believe you compete more against yourself,” Magana said. “Omar helped me a lot because I didn’t know I could push myself as much as he was able to help me.”
Magana started playing soccer at a young age, responding emotionally to the creative possibilities. When he’s not playing, he spends time with line pencil drawings and painting.
For him, soccer is a game, a lifestyle and a pathway to the future. He confirmed that Lewis and Roosevelt have shown recruiting interest for playing in college.
“I love the game because it has helped me express my feelings,” Magana said. “It shows who I am, and the game is always there for me
“What people see in me playing is I hate to lose, and I always put in the effort to be the best version of myself.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.