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Arlington’s Hugo Gomez is the IE Varsity Player of the Year – San Bernardino Sun

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RIVERSIDE — The motto for the Arlington boys soccer team is ‘Family-Football-Feeling.’

Junior striker Hugo Gomez, the third of his siblings to play for Lions, embodies this concept.

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Arlington junior midfielder Hugo Gomez has been chosen the IE Varsity Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Gomez tallied 21 goals and 15 assists for the Lions this season in Riverside on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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“I really, truly believe in this program,” Gomez said. “I grew up with it like a soccer family. It’s one of the things that I know, especially from my two brothers.”

The 2024-25 IE Varsity Boys Soccer Player of the Year, Gomez was one of only three players in the CIF Southern Section Open Division with 20-plus goals and 15 or more assists this season.

“I’ve always dedicated myself to this program, and I’ve dedicated a lot,” he said.

His older brothers set an example, for good or otherwise.

Jose ‘Bibi’ Gomez played four varsity seasons for Arlington from 2014-17, and totaled 23 goals and 20 assists in 68 career matches. Joey Gomez was a varsity player for the Lions during the 2022-23 season.

“I’m the youngest sibling, and they all give me advice, especially being the youngest,” Hugo said. “They’re always on me but I think it gives me a big advantage because I know what to expect.”

With his family watching every minute, Gomez scored in 11 of his first 12 matches this season and had Arlington’s only goals in its two-leg CIF Southern Section Open Division quarterfinal playoff series against JSerra. He finished the season with 21 goals and 15 assists across 22 matches.

“I know all the bad habits, and I try to get that out of my system and always keep a positive mindset,” he said. “I grew up with that soccer profile.”

In 15 years since Kevin Watson was hired as head coach, Arlington has won six league titles – including three consecutive – and will go down as the Inland area’s first two-time Open Division qualifier.

The Lions’ recent stint of success dates to winning the 2019 Division 2 championship. Since then the team has been the only Division 1 participant from Riverside or San Bernardino County before moving to the Open Division for last year’s playoffs.

Last year’s first Gatorade California Player of the Year, Arlington’s Javier Hernandez, scored goals for LAFC2 in MLS NEXT late into the summer and is currently finishing his freshman year at North Carolina.

Among team leaders with 14 assists last season, Gomez started alongside Hernandez throughout the playoffs as Arlington came within a hair of scoring against Mater Dei in the inaugural Open Division championship.

The most successful public school program in Southern California over the last two years, Arlington players have increasingly received recognition. Gomez is Lions’ fourth IE Varsity Player of the Year since 2018, joining Eduardo Rodriguez (2018), Erik Leon (2019) and Daniel Hernandez (2023).

After producing goals in the Open Division playoffs each of the last two years, Gomez has next level scouts and college coaches in his ear.

“Yeah, they’re around,” he said with a laugh before adding, “but I really want to raise the standards here still. I want the program to grow more, feel more, learn more, and that’s always been a goal of mine – to help this program out.”

He recently transferred from SoCal Elite FC back to Riverside-based Albion SC, and will play for the club’s Under-18 side this spring and summer ahead of his senior season.

“Hugo is a special talent and up there with (Javier Hernandez)’s type of impact as a goal scorer,” said Watson, Riverside Albion’s founder and director.

“I’ve told every scout and college recruiter that he is the best player in our area, hands down, and he showed it against the best teams in the country last season,” Watson said. “The JSerra staff were just in awe of him.”

Gomez has accumulated 30 goals and 31 assists in 71 career prep matches, with one more season to play.

“This program and this school is in my eyes and in my heart,” Gomez said. “I want to represent that. This program really has character and really shows my culture.”

IE VARSITY COACH OF THE YEAR

Gilberto Castillo, Jurupa Hills

Clean up the small mistakes before they get bigger.

That was the message Gilberto Castillo had for the Jurupa Hills boys soccer team this season. The Spartans listened, and allowed less than one goal per 80 minutes during their run to the CIF Southern Section Division 2 championship match.

“We were able to stay pretty spotless down the stretch,” Castillo said. “This team really had a grit about them that would not allow them to allow more than one.”

Jurupa Hills (17-8-4 overall) finished third in the San Andreas League, but allowed only two goals over the first four playoff matches and defeated Valley View 1-0 to reach the program’s first final.

Castillo is 48-30-19 in four seasons since taking over for Armando Fresquez in 2021.



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