All-Area Boys Soccer Player of the Year: Continuing a legacy

Published 11:00 pm Saturday, June 16, 2018

While Dalton High School was in the midst of winning three state boys soccer state championships from 2013-15, fans packed Harmon Field to watch the Catamounts — led by now-college players Eder Mora (University of Alabama-Birmingham) and Kobe Perez (Mercer University) play at as high of a level as anyone in the country.

Among the crowd was Omar Hernandez, a middle schooler at the time, but already a talented soccer player in his own right. He wasn’t there only to watch a game he loves. He was becoming inspired. Seeing what Mora and Perez were doing and the levels they reached showed Hernandez what was possible.

“They were role models for me,” Hernandez said. “I saw they stood out and always worked out and trained and tried to be the best and show out. Once I saw they were getting college level offers, I thought if they could do it I could too. I just tried pushing myself to the best of my ability and hopefully get an offer. That’s what I did.”

Hernandez recently completed his junior season at Dalton continuing on the legacy of the players he revered while watching from the stands years earlier.

Hernandez scored 28 goals in 2018 to go with 20 assists — he’s totaled 47 career assists putting him second on Dalton’s all-time list behind Luis Rivas. He was tabbed by Gatorade as its Georgia Soccer Player of the year and over the season committed to play college soccer at Wake Forest.

In recognition of his talent, his performances and his accolades, Hernandez has been named the Daily Citizen-News All-Area Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

Dalton coach Matt Cheaves said he was well familiar of Hernandez and his abilities while he coming through the Dalton system. He recalled one of final practices of the 2015 season when Hernandez came to watch the Catamounts prepare for a state championship, dribbling around the track while the team was engaged on the field.

“The thing that stands out to me more than anything, he used to live over close to Lakeshore Park. The day before the 2015 state championship we went over there to practice on that turf,” Cheaves said. “He would’ve been an eighth-grader then. He came out and he dribbled a soccer ball around the track for almost our entire practice. I remember thinking, that kid’s going to be really good. He’s really talented to come work like that.”

Hernandez looked up to the Catamounts that came before him and is eager to add to the championship legacy they created.

“Every day I was fueled by their passion of the game and the way they played the game and the way they were able to win multiple state titles,” Hernandez said. “Me being around with a group my age who was just as talented as me, we made it a goal to try to win a state title. We’ve yet to do that but we got one more year.”

Included in that group is Ivan Mora, Eder’s brother, who recognizes the spot Omar has taken among Dalton’s best and the fact that they are the next ones in line

“Both of them have inspired many young players in Dalton,” Ivan Mora said. “When we were in middle school I always wanted to be just like Eder and Kobe. With that, Omar and I knew how much work it takes to be that good. Being home with Eder and seeing how hard he works every single day has really helped me with football. Good things will come to those who work hard. Omar has now put his name up there with the best that has come through Dalton High School. Now we are the ones who are in high school and doing our best to do great things on and off the field to be great role models for the younger kids as were Eder and Kobe.”

Being a part of such a talented group of players that have played together for so long has gone a long way in helping Hernandez raise his game.

“It brings the best out of me,” he said. “It makes the game much easier for me and much more fun for me. They help me out a lot.”

“They’re a close group,” Cheaves added. “It’s a pretty sizeable group in that class and they’re all talented players. They communicate real well. They don’t mind getting after each other and usually they respond to each other pretty good with that.”

Mora adds that Hernandez, along with himself and Tony Saldana that take on a extra leadership role during practices.

“We are always pushing each other to the max, especially Tony, Omar and I,” Mora said. “During practice we are always competing against one another whether it’s in conditioning, best passing or shooting. We try to outwork each other. If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you so we keep ourselves accountable.”

Hernandez said that’s a role he relishes.

“I try to be leader, help the younger guys out with whatever they need,” He said. “Being a vocal player, they can ask me questions whenever they need help and I can give them answers and hopefully help them out.”

A leadership role is one of many Hernandez filled for this year’s Catamounts. His on-the-field role changed on a game-by-game basis once Cheaves saw the best way to utilize his talents.

“We were able to create lots of chances, lots of goals. He had lots of goals lots of assists and created chances,” Cheaves said. “He would fill a role depending on our opponent. We might slide him back to the midfield or leave him at forward depending on what we needed him to do or what we wanted to see happen.”

When it comes to being a pure player, Cheaves says there’s a number of factors that goes into making him a top talent.

“I think he has a great attitude in approaching the game,” Cheaves said. “His work ethic is strong and he’s a humble kid, he’s not cocky. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to be successful.”

Hernandez has steadily been working to improve himself as a player ever since the first time his dad kicked him a ball when he was 3 years old.

“My dad was a soccer player too, he was the one that first got me into it and made me fall in love with it,” Hernandez said. “He’s the one started me first, whenever we’d go to the park he’d kick me the ball. Right then and there I fell in love with the sport.”

The game came pretty quickly to Hernandez, but he didn’t rely on natural ability alone.

“I was the only left-footer with a little bit of skill,” he said. “You can spot me out against the other guys, but I worked hard everyday to improve and make myself better every day. I still do that today.”

Over the years, the one person that helped Hernandez continue to grow as a player was the one that got him started, his father.

“I never really went to camps or anything, my dad was always there and looked for ways for me to improve. I trained with him and he always pushed me to be my best.”

His teammates recognize his constant drive and commitment to becoming better on and off the field.

“I am certainly proud of him, but it is no surprise. Omar is a person who is always putting in the extra work to separate himself from the others,” Mora said. “He and I always encourage each other to do more and doing the right thing. He sets his standards high and gets after it. He definitely deserves to be All-Area Soccer Player of the Year and winning Gatorade Player of the Year. He doesn’t only represent those achievements well by the way he plays, but out in public too by being the great person he is and staying focused on doing the right thing. He’s got a really bright future and Wake Forest is getting a great one.”

Wake Forest will come down the road. There’s still one piece of business left to accomplish at Dalton.

“It’s going to be our senior year so we’re going to have to go all out and do the best that we can and hopefully win a state title,” Hernandez said. “Right now, we’re out training on our own, we’re training together, working out together, but we’re all trying to progress individually and help out each right now.”

Box Stuff

Favorite Team – Real Madrid

Favorite Player – Lionel Messi

World Cup Pick – France

Favorite team to play against – Southeast

Place to eat – Zaxby’s

Dream car – Lamborghini