QUINCY — Romualdo Sandoval, the goalkeeper for the Quincy High School soccer team, is the perfect example that hard work pays off.

“Don’t let height get in your way, you can do anything,” said Sandovol after a game against Cascade on May 14.

The 5 foot-tall freshman started off the season on the Quincy C squad, which brought down his confidence in his abilities, Sandoval said. But about halfway through the season, Sandoval found himself moving up to practice with the junior varsity and before he knew it, playing on varsity.

Sandoval said he was asked to turn in a grade check and then traveled with the JV team to Chelan.

“And as soon as I get there, like to Chelan, my JV coach, he was like ‘Put on your stuff, you're playing varsity,’ and I was just like ‘Oh,’” said Sandoval.

While it was a surprise to Sandoval, it wasn’t to his coaching team.

“That’s just one thing that I really like about coaching, you can give anybody a fair chance.” Quincy Head Soccer Coach Francisco Tafoya said. “If you're showing that you're improving and if others just aren't hacking it, they just get too comfortable and content with where they're at and not looking to better themselves as the season goes — somebody is gonna come knocking on your door.”

Sandoval said it was his dream position to be a goalie in soccer, but he was always on the short side and didn’t have anyone to teach him the position.

Even though he said he’s played soccer his whole life, Sandoval said he didn’t play goalie until middle school.

When talking about why he chose to put Sandoval on varsity, a choice that might have people scratching their heads, Tafoya said “ ... especially as a freshman too, the inexperience and just the pressure of some games, especially like this past Saturday (against Cascade). Things that maybe he would, we like to say he ‘Melt like a snowflake under pressure.’ But no, he's held up, and he's willing to step in there and just play big.”

Sandoval said his favorite part of being goalie is making saves, but his least favorite part is getting scored on if he misses a ball.

Fortunately, Sandoval’s got talents that make him just like the team’s mascot — the jackrabbit.

“The kid, he's got hops and he's got good moments where he's got some really good dives,” Tafoya said. “But I don't see that stopping him in his desire to, you know, be a good goalie.”

Tafoya added that the goal keeper is one of the most important positions on the field and the Jacks need a goalie that can be consistent and reliable so that the other teammates on the field know the goalie can handle himself in tough situations they may face.

“I think it would be awesome if he's the one in goal if we make it all the way to the final,” said Tafoya. “Because it's one of those things where you could go and give that message for the next year and so on, that it doesn't matter what team you start on, you never know if you might make that big leap and if you're called upon you either take the opportunity or you don't.”

Sandoval was called, and took that opportunity, and has shown that hard work pays off and height isn’t going to stop him from reaching his goals.

Rebecca Pettingill may be reached at [email protected].