Early in Cristian Zaragoza’s soccer career, he made the decision to move from forward to defender. For a teenager, it was quite the move to risk losing the glitz and glamour that comes from scoring goals to helping prevent them.
It was also one of the things that drew Chattanooga Red Wolves head coach Jimmy Obleda to him in the summer of 2020.
But wrapped in that maturity has been the loss of a close friend which has led to a hunger to deliver on a promise that Zaragoza made years ago – a promise that he and Misael Huijon made while growing up.
Zaragoza was able to make that come true this past season, as Dalton won the Georgia Class AAAAAA state championship. But Huijon wasn’t able to be there, having passed away on March 4, 2020.
“In high school, we said we would be together. We would be state champions,” Zaragoza said recently, wiping away tears. “Since that point, when he passed away, everything I’m doing, I’m doing for him.”