Josafat Rodriguez is just trying to have fun on the soccer field. The nearly three goals that he scores every game are just an added bonus.
 
Rodriguez and the Manual Thunderbolts are a part of the Class 2A classification this fall, which has far more scoring than anywhere else in the state. The Junior forward is battling it out, day in and day out, with the Loftus School’s Fredy Peraza for the top scorer in all of Colorado.
 
“The season has been crazy, we’ve had some ups and downs this season,” Rodriguez said. “Everyone is having fun, I try to motivate everyone to always have fun.”
 
The Thunderbolts have had anything but a stable stretch this season. After scoring 10 goals in their season opener, the team has since played in three double overtime games, has been in eight games separated by a goal, and is averaging almost four goals a match. During a two-game in September, Manual found themselves falling in a thrilling 6-5 game to Jefferson, before truing around and putting up nine goals at Bruce Randolph. You may never be able to tell what to expect when the Mustangs play, but there will surely be many goals.
 
When asked how his team generates so much offense, Rodriguez immediately wanted to start by talking about the defense. He credits his brother Jesus and other defenders like Jonathan Vazquez and Jesus Cordero, for proving that good defense truly does create a good defense. “it’s not on me,” Rodriguez said. “I just try to score goals and make the team look good.”
 
The Junior captain of the Manual squad had scored a hat-trick or more in three or more goals in six different games this season easily surpassing his season total of 22 goals from a season ago. His goal-scoring tear this year includes a seven-goal performance that came during the September 19^th win over Bruce Randolph. While CHSAA does not award an official “Golden Boot,” as many soccer associations do across the globe, Rodriguez (33 goals) is still enjoying the everyday battle between himself and Peraza (34 goals), a battle he currently trails by one goal going into the final game of the regular season.
 
“I didn’t know who that was at first,” Rodriguez admitted in a friendly manner when asked about the battle with Peraza. “It’s been crazy, me and him going back and forth, I want to be number one (in goals scored), but I also want my team to be number one.”
 
There is no doubt that Rodriguez is enjoying the battle but he’s also trying to use it as a tool to help motivate the rest of his team and create a positive environment, even when the team faces adversity.
 
“We had our starting goalie get injured earlier in the year and our sub goalie was a freshman, who was barely in high school,” Rodriguez said was one of the bumps in the road this season. “I try to tell him to always come out strong and that today is a new day.”
 
Rodriguez had no idea where the game of soccer would take him when he started playing on weekends at age five, but at this point, there’s no question that he’s found something that he loves.