With an undefeated season, a 10th Long Island Championship title, and a fifth New York State title, there’s no doubt the Varsity Boys Soccer team sets the bar. 

On Nov. 4, 2023, the Brentwood Varsity Boys Soccer team earned its 10th Long Island championship victory with a score of 4-0 against East Meadow. This marked Brentwood’s first time heading to the state semifinals since 2019. 

With a quarterfinals loss at the county championship last year, the team was eager to make a comeback. And they succeeded – ending the regular season with a 16-0 record and later becoming the first ever Suffolk Class AAA champions with a win over Ward Melville.  

“We knew we couldn’t go out again like the previous years and had a mission that needed to be completed,” said Stalyn Acosta, star defensive midfielder and captain of the team.  

Heading to the championship game on Nov. 12, Brentwood was up against Baldwinsville to play their final game of the season. The boys felt like they had something to prove, and they weren’t going to leave the field empty-handed. They battled their way to a 2-1 victory.  

In an intense game, Diego Argueta assisted on Josue Granados’ goal in the first half. Later during the second half, Argueta scored the second goal, assisted by Acosta. The goal from Argueta secured this year’s state title for Brentwood. 

“After winning states, we were all confident; nobody could’ve stopped us if we kept going,” Acosta said. “I personally believe no other team would’ve stopped us. It felt like a movie; the ending was sad but rewarding because it was all over.” 

Acosta was recently named an All-American for boys’ soccer by the United Soccer Coaches Association of America on Tuesday, Dec. 5. He discussed the sacrifice it took to prepare for the momentous season. It was the foundation that allowed the team to win game after game.  

“The preparation started in the summer,” Acosta said. “That included beach runs and practicing during the day in the heat. The only thing that changed was our mentality to come to practice every day and take training seriously.”  

Sports in high school can be life-changing for many, but some may not realize the importance of coaches that can change the course of a school’s history. Head Coach Ron Eden, a hallmark of the boys’ soccer program at Brentwood High School, has been a member of the coaching staff for the past 44 years and head coach of the Boys Varsity Soccer team for the past 28 years.  

“These boys, some have been with me for 3-4 years; they all put their efforts and hard work into this season,” said Eden. “I’ve been doing this for 28 years and it goes in cycles. Brentwood has been consistently winning. The soccer program is a good program and it’s always been successful, even more so now.” 

The team boasts several standout athletes like Nicholas Loaiza, the top goal scorer for Brentwood. Loaiza was ranked 2nd of all scorers on Long Island with 23 goals, 11 assists, and 34 points this season. Fellow teammate Diego Argueta scored an impressive 19 goals as well. Goalkeeper Jose Garcia also had an astonishing 70 saves this season.  

But Eden notes that it is not just the athletic ability of his players or their incredible statistics that makes the team a success. 

“These are great young men,” Eden said. “They’re extremely talented and the type of people you’d want to associate with. We’ve created a community of brothers, a family.” 

The season was not all glitz and glory, despite the team’s feats. Coach Eden shed some light on the hardships the boys had to overcome, individually and as a team. 

“We faced a lot of injuries this season, more than usual which wasn’t good,” Eden said. “It put a lot of the players on the bench, but we still made it because of our efforts.” 

After an impressive season, it would be easy to sit back and enjoy the accolades – but Coach Eden is focused on what comes next, especially for the graduating seniors on the team. 

“It meant so much for the community and for future college opportunities,” Eden said. “They achieved the taste of success, but this is just the start of the next chapter in their lives.”