Jaime Velasco, Westview

Oregon Boys Soccer POY: Jaime Velasco

February, 22, 2012

By Ben Rohrbach

A dedicated ESPNHS team managed this past fall's Gatorade Boys Soccer Player of the Year selection process, resulting in winners based on the program's three pillars: athletic production and impact in the 2011 season, high academic achievement and exemplary personal character.

THE WINNER: Jaime Velasco

THE BASICS:
School: Westview (Portland, Ore.)
Grade: Senior
Position: Forward
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 165 pounds

THE PILLARS:
Athletic achievement: Velasco led the Wildcats to an 18-2-2 record and the Class 6A state championship this past season. He scored 30 goals and passed for 18 assists, including the only goal in both the state semifinals and the state final. The Oregonian’s Class 6A Player of the Year and the Metro League Player of the Year, Velasco transferred to Westview from Anchorage, Alaska, before his junior year. He recorded 44 goals and 28 assists in two seasons with the Wildcats.
Academic excellence: Velasco has maintained a 3.17 GPA in the classroom.
Exemplary character: He has volunteered locally as an elementary school aide and as a youth soccer coach.

THE PRAISE:
“Jaime Velasco is a go-to player with great ball skills and he’s so fast,” said Jason Goodrich, head coach of Southridge (Beaverton, Ore.). “What sets him apart from other players are his play-making abilities and that he can finish on goal with multiple players on him. He can carry the team when needed with his talent and determination.”

THE FUTURE: Velasco has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on an athletic scholarship at the University of Portland this fall.

The Oregonian wrote:……Velasco, 19, just completed his first summer as a member of the Portland Timbers U23 team and is preparing for his sophomore season as a forward on the University of Portland men’s team.
And he’s sure that the experiences he got during his freshman year with the Pilots and over the summer with the Timbers will pave the way for even greater things, including setting the table for what he hopes is a future in professional soccer.