BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Texas Southmost College alumni Kevin Zamora and Romualdo Gonzalez made a return to Scorpion Field as members of the Our Lady of the Lake University men’s soccer team when the Scorpions hosted the Saints in a preseason scrimmage on Aug. 14.
The former Scorpions looked sharp on the pitch while facing their former team.
“The team looks very well-conditioned and is mentally well,” said Zamora, a senior forward. “With both of those things, you can go far with that.”
Zamora and Gonzalez established themselves as starters during their first season with the NAIA program and hope to help the Saints make a run at a Red River Athletic Conference championship this fall.
Before transferring, the pair played key roles for TSC as members of the program’s first team following the reinstatement of men’s soccer.
“I feel like it was a good steppingstone,” said Gonzalez, a senior defender. “I feel like Coach Mario Zamora treated us pretty good. He helped us out by contacting coaches.”
Their experience at TSC helped prepare them for the transition to a four-year program, and both encouraged prospective players to consider joining Coach Zamora’s program.
“I feel like TSC is a good program,” Gonzalez said. “You’re going to have a chance to play and develop as a player and a person.”
Zamora said the leadership qualities he and Gonzalez developed at TSC carried over to their new team.
“I feel like Ruma and I became leaders with that group, and we took that to OLLU,” said Zamora.
Their success at OLLU serves as an example of the opportunities available to TSC student-athletes, demonstrating how the program can help players develop on the field while preparing them to continue their academic and athletic careers at four-year institutions.
OLLU opens its regular season on Aug. 20 at Oklahoma City University, while TSC begins its campaign on Aug. 28 at Jacksonville College.
