After a season of setbacks and sidelined dreams, Valeria Romero and the Santa Fe South girls soccer team are writing a comeback story worth celebrating.
Romero, a junior forward, remembers last year all too well—watching from the bench with a right ankle injury as her team fell in the Class 5A first-round playoffs to McGuinness. That loss marked the Saints' seventh straight first-round exit, a streak that had become a heavy weight to carry.
"It hurt not being able to be out there and help my teammates," Romero said. "It's hard to come back from an injury, but honestly having my teammates around me motivated me to come back better and be stronger. That's what this year has been all about."
On Monday night, Romero turned that motivation into pure dominance. She powered Santa Fe South to a resounding 6-0 victory over El Reno in the Class 5A first round at the Santa Fe South Sports and Education Complex, delivering a hat trick with three goals and an assist. Senior Dannae Gutierrez matched her intensity, scoring two goals and adding two assists of her own. Junior midfielder Yamilet Garcia chipped in with a second-half goal to seal the win.
The victory wasn't just another win—it was historic. Santa Fe South (11-2, 6-1 District 5A-1) advanced to the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2017, breaking a cycle of early exits that had haunted the program.
"Last year I wanted to do whatever it took to help my team win, but obviously I couldn't," Romero said. "But this year is different. This year is the year."
The Saints entered the playoffs on a mission, fueled by a tough regular-season finale—a 4-3 loss to district rival Noble. Instead of letting that result linger, second-year coach Karson King turned it into motivation.
"I've just been telling them all week that our record right now doesn't matter," King said. "All that matters is the next four games and we have to go 4-0. We can't drop, we can't let up for one half, for one game."
With momentum on their side and a star player back in action, the Saints are proving that sometimes the best comebacks start with the hardest setbacks. For fans of high school soccer and those who love a good underdog story, Santa Fe South is a team to watch—and the kind of resilience that looks great on the pitch, and on your game-day gear.