Quincy soccer sets high expectations
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 months AGO
Sergio Hernandez, left, and Luis Analucas, right, chase down the ball during an intra-squad scrimmage. With a veteran team, the Jacks are looking to be competitive in the CWAC.
CHERYL SCHWEIZER/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Quincy soccer player Julian Valenzuela surveys the field while moving the ball out of his end.
Quincy players chase after the ball during practice.
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | March 12, 2026 3:00 AM
QUINCY — The Quincy boys soccer team has a lot of returning experience and as a result the players are expecting a successful season.
“We have really high expectations this year for them – as well as they do. They really set that bar pretty high,” said head coach Hector Vaca.
The Jacks shared the Central Washington Athletic Conference title in 2025 in their second year in the league. They lost in the opening round of the state playoffs to North Kitsap, the eventual second-place finisher.
For 2026, Vaca said the Jacks are looking to do at least as well as they did in 2025.
“I guess the goal is to repeat, for sure. I have basically the same team coming back, minus I graduated three guys (from the 2025 team).
Vaca said the CWAC reduced the number of games played by each team, and that will help all the league’s teams.
“More than anything, it’s just staying healthy. Staying healthy for sure. I mean, the number of games that we were playing in a season – it was quite a bit. It takes a toll on these guys' bodies because we were playing a lot. Every week was a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday game. So, this year, we cut it down as a league,” he said.
The long season also took a mental toll.
“The mental aspect of it is huge on these guys too, just getting there, getting them focused, and getting their minds right,” he said.
Quincy has a long history of accomplishments in soccer, including multiple league championships in the 1A and 2A classifications. In 2026, the Jacks return most of their starters and that will keep them competitive in what Vaca said will be a tough league.
“I have, I believe, 14 seniors this year, who I’ve had since they were sophomores in the program, which is really nice,” he said.
With all their experience, Vaca said the team has a lot of players that can lead in any game.
“I don't usually rely on just one or two people. It's a mixture of a team,” he said.
Quincy has a thriving boys soccer program, reflected in the large number of players turning out. The JV team will be mostly freshmen, Vaca said, but some freshmen will be competing for varsity spots.
“We’ve got some really exciting freshmen though – really exciting. I'm really excited for my freshman class,” Vaca said.
The Jacks are looking to fulfill their own expectations.
“I'm really looking forward to seeing what these guys can do,” Vaca said.
Quincy soccer player Julian Valenzuela surveys the field while moving the ball out of his end.
Quincy players chase after the ball during practice.ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
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