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By Jay Spivey

For the Clemmons Courier

CLEMMONS — Sometimes a person just needs a little encouragement from their mother to do something.  

That’s exactly what happened to Ryan Penaloza, a senior on the West Forsyth boys soccer team, which as of Monday afternoon was 9-0-1 overall after defeating Ragsdale 3-0 Friday night in Clemmons, and it is 1-0 in the Central Piedmont 4-A. 

As for Penaloza, he didn’t make his middle-school team at Meadowlark in the sixth and seventh grade, and there was no season his eighth-grade year because of COVID-19. So, as he entered West Forsyth there was the possibility of trying out for the JV team.  

“I didn’t even want to play or tryout because I remember my mom (Carina) used to make me go to workouts, like the early-morning workouts, and I’d beg her not to make me go,” Penaloza said. “But she still made me go, and I’m thankful for it now.” 

It wasn’t just soccer where Penaloza needed a nudge. 

“I feel like after middle-school she made me do stuff, but I started taking accountability. So, it wasn’t just her,” he said. “Not everything’s given to you. I had to learn a hard one by middle-school.” 

Even though he didn’t make the team at Meadowlark he did make the boys JV team at West Forsyth his freshman year. 

“Before, I used to think I was all that, not making the team in middle-school,” he said. “And making JV, it made me realize I wasn’t. You can always get better.” 

Making the JV team for the Titans changed his outlook. 

“At first I was excited because I finally made the team,” Penaloza said. “And I realized that JV isn’t really that impressive.” 

Penaloza played a full season of JV his freshman year and stayed on JV his sophomore year for most of the season.  

“I knew it was going to be hard (to make varsity), but I felt like I could’ve made it,” he said. “And I ended up getting pulled up the last couple games for varsity.” 

According to Penaloza, Coach Jeffrey Williams, who was the varsity boys coach at West Forsyth, pulled him up to varsity for the Reynolds games, which was two games before the end of his sophomore season.  

“I had to call my mom,” Penaloza said.  

There was a silver lining to having him come up to varsity just before the end of his sophomore season.  

“I didn’t really play much,” Penaloza said. “But I think just being in the environment helped.” 

That little spark did help Penaloza because he made the varsity last year as a center back for the Titans, who were loaded with talent and finished 20-1-2 overall.  

“My sophomore year, I did (indoor) track in the offseason,” he said. “My speed helped me. I was also more physical.” 

Once again, it was his mom who gave him that push to run indoor track and field. 

“My mom had to make me do it,” Penaloza said. 

According to MaxPreps.com, Penaloza finished with three goals and an assist last year. However, the team was unbeaten until the second round of the NCHSAA Class 4-A playoffs, losing to Charlotte Independence 3-1. 

“That was tough,” he said.  

Despite the loss in the playoffs the outlook for this season was optimistic. However, Williams resigned as the boys soccer coach at West Forsyth and remained the girls coach.  

That would’ve left many teams with plenty of uncertainty, but, John Blake, who previously coached at Ledford, was named the head boys coach at West Forsyth early this year.  

“He seemed like a nice guy,” Penaloza said of his initial impressions of Blake. “But he’s also strict, so it should be good.” 

The team had workouts throughout the year until practice started for the fall season in late July.  

“I just knew he was a really good player, playing against him the last three or four years (at Ledford)” Blake said. “And knew him as a kid when I got to the school, just tried to meet the kids. Ryan was just one of the better kids as far in the classroom, just a good all-around kid.” 

Seeing Penaloza on the field was an eye-opening experience. 

“He’s a very talented player, really composed as a defender, and a good leader,” Blake said. “He’s been big for us. He really holds down our defense. He’s one of our more important players on and off the field.” 

Despite his status, Penaloza isn’t a captain. 

“He’s deserving for sure, but he is a captain in my mind as far as he’s just a pure all-around leader,” Blake said. 

Penaloza knows his role on the team. 

“I look at myself as a lockdown defender around the goal, hard to get by, physical, aggressive,” he said.  

One of the highlights so far this season was playing this past Friday night against Ragsdale, which came in with a 9-0 record. West Forsyth won 3-0.  

“It was awesome,” Penaloza said. “We started off kind of slow, just kicking the ball everywhere. But then we settled down and played our game…” 

West Forsyth tried to schedule a Friday night boys soccer game when the football team is off. The football team was off this past Friday as it prepares to play its Central Piedmont 4-A opener this Friday at Mount Tabor.  

“It brings our community together, our school together, and gives everybody a chance to (see) soccer,” Blake said.  

Penaloza, senior Haegen Paschold and junior Ethan Barghout scored the three goals for the Titans. According to MaxPreps.com, junior Riley Powell played 75 minutes in goal and senior Milo Lester played the other 5 minutes to preserve the shutout.  

“He actually scored (Friday) night on a header,” Blake said. “And defensively, he just gives us a lot of stability. I would say we have one of the best defenses in the state, and he’s the main reason coming back from being conference defensive player of the year.” 

His play rubs off on his teammates. 

“He brings a real even temperament to the team,” Blake said. “He’s never too high, never too low. Keeps his head, and I think the guys really feed off of that. He’s a good example for the other players.” 

West Forsyth was scheduled to play at Glenn on Monday, but it was postponed to Thursday, the day after its scheduled conference game Wednesday at Reagan. West Forsyth won its lone conference game 10-1 against Parkland on Sept. 11 in Clemmons. The results put a target on the backs of the West Forsyth players.  

“We’re the ones to watch,” Penaloza said.  

But there is still a long season ahead. Following this week’s scheduled games against Glenn and Reagan, West Forsyth is scheduled to play at home next Monday against Davie County and again at home next Wednesday against Reynolds. 

“We really preached about the process and not worrying too much about winning or losing,” Blake said. “Just worry about holding our standards and raise our standards. (Friday) night was a big game for us. We played really well. So, we’ve just got to hold our kids, they’ve got to hold themselves to that standard. So, we have to play better than that every single night.” 

No matter how the regular season finishes, it’s likely the Titans will be a high seed once the NCHSAA Class 4-A playoffs start. Just like last season, the team has had trouble getting over the hurdle of early-round playoff losses. 

“I think just play with confidence,” Penaloza said. “And knowing we can handle Charlotte teams.” 

So far, that’s true. West Forsyth has played four Charlotte-area teams – beat Lake Norman 4-1, beat Mooresville 4-0, beat Concord Cox Mill 3-1, and beat Cornelius Hough 5-1. The lone tie was 3-3 against Watauga. 

“I think pressure’s a privilege,” Blake said. “We enjoy the target. We’ve earned it. I think the boys have earned it, Ryan included. It’s important to embrace being good. I think we want everybody’s best shot. That makes us better. That makes the other teams around us better as well.” 

Penaloza doesn’t really want to think past this season, but he is a senior. That brings up many questions about his future. Penaloza said that Blake told him that Mars Hill was interested in his playing there. If not, he has a plan. 

“I want to take over my dad’s electrical company (Penaloza Electrical),” he said. “I’ve been going to work with him. It’s a fun thing. I like doing what he does.” 

Despite Penaloza’s admiration for his dad, Agustin, and his job, he’s indebted in his mom for encouraging him to strive for his dreams. 

“Soccer is everything to me,” he said. “I think it’s just me learning you can’t just give up. You have to actually work for what you want. And not everything’s handed to you.”