By Hannah Ossman

Andres Quintero is in his final soccer season at Jenks High School, and this season is bound to be a great one. 

“Soccer is my main source of motivation this year so I look forward to every game and hopefully we make playoffs and get a chance to win state,” said Andres. 

Andres picked up his love of soccer from his dad, who also played soccer all through school. He began following in his dad’s footsteps at an early age and started playing soccer when he was just six years old. 

“I love playing well. Being able to play as a team and as an individual in the best way possible is really what I love most,” said Andres. 

Andres has two main role models in his life. In sports, his role model is professional soccer player Andres Iniesta. In personal life, his role model is his dad. 

“He has his life put together and planned out. He takes care of his family, and he has a job he loves. There’s not much more you can want in life apart from those things,” said Andres. 

Along with playing for Jenks, Andres also plays for the TSC 02/03 ECNL team. He plays as a center defensive midfield. 

Throughout his soccer career, the most memorable moment for him has been winning the state championship his sophomore year. He also enjoyed a tournament his team went to in Alabama and the bus rides, games, and fun times in the hotels that came along with it. He has enjoyed all the time spent with his teammates, who are like family to him. 

After high school graduation, Andres plans to attend college to study mechanical engineering. The advice he would give to his underclassmen is, “Listen to your coaches, but be your own type of player. Coaches know what’s best, so following their instructions and tactical decisions is the best way to become a good player. With that said, add a little to your game, be creative and unpredictable when the time is right,” said Andres.