Former Taunton player, assistant Jesue Lopes takes charge as boys soccer coach
TAUNTON— Twelve years ago, he was on the pitch competing day in and day out for the Taunton boys soccer team.
Now Jesue Lopes finds himself on the touchline taking charge of his alma mater as the new Tigers head coach.
"Being a head coach was always my dream and I’m thankful to (Taunton Athletic Director Mark Ottavianelli) for giving me the opportunity and now I’m going to enjoy it with my players because this has always been a dream," Lopes said.
The 2012 Taunton High graduate is a familiar face among the program, having not only played for the Tigers but serving in a variety of assistant roles, starting with freshmen assistant, from 2016-2021. After a year away, Lopes was handed the reigns of the program this past spring, replacing Taylor Whitters after her seven-year stint at the helm.
Returning to the program after a year away, Lopes wasn't sure how his players would look or act, but he's been impressed by their efforts so far.
"These kids are amazing," Lopes said. "They’re really coachable, they do exactly what I tell them to do so right now (the goal is) to keep on doing what we’re doing and keep moving forward."
The Tigers looked sharp in their season debut match against Sharon on Sept. 7, earning a 2-0 win thanks to a pair of first-half goals by Daniel Freitas and Devin Poe. Freitas struck first in the 10th minute, booting the ball into an open net off a rebound from Louis-Jean Djouninioh's initial shot that was stopped by the Eagles goalkeeper Zach Connors. Poe then doubled that lead in the 36th minute as he sent home a shot after a previous save that was dropped by Connors.
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From there, goalkeeper Sebastian DaRosa, who made 10 saves, and the Tiger defense kept Sharon at bay, including fighting off a late comeback effort, to seal the opening win.
"It was a tough win against Sharon," Lopes said. "We were expecting them to come hard and give us everything they had and they did. They put up a good fight and this is what we’ve been looking for since the beginning of the season. The players did exactly what I asked of them and we got the good result."
Lopes said that so far his time in charge has been a learning experience both for himself and his players, but finds that having been in their cleats once himself, it helps them all relate even further.
"I think so because I can relate to them on a lot of things, especially being a proud Tiger, so I feel like that helps in transmitting the pride and energy through the players," Lopes said.
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Going ahead, Taunton (1-1-0, 1-0-0 Hockomock) will face some more tests and challenges, but whatever comes their way, Lopes hopes that his players always remember their love for the beautiful game.
"Play the best game and enjoy it while they do," Lopes said.
The Tigers fell 3-1 on the road to Durfee in non-league action Saturday and had their Hockomock match against North Attleboro Monday postponed. The Tigers return to the pitch Thursday when they travel to Canton.
Taunton Daily Gazette sports reporter Cameron Merritt can be reached at cmerritt@tauntongazette.com. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @CamMerritt_News. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to the Taunton Daily Gazette today.
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: 2012 Taunton High graduate Jesue Lopes takes charge of boys soccer
