Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Jared Gallegos of Mt. Diablo High
Name: Jared Gallegos
School: Mt. Diablo High School
Grade: Junior
Sport: Soccer
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 21, 2023) — After making a big impression in his sophomore season as a first team all-Diablo Athletic League player, Gallegos carried on this year with another outstanding effort as a captain for Red Devils coach Octavio Guzman. “Jared is a special player on and off the field. He is coachable and doesn’t need reminders to do great things. And he is one of our top academic athletes here at Mount by maintaining a 4.0 GPA all three years. He made varsity as a freshman and was a starter. I believe a bright future is ahead of him,” Guzman says of his junior standout.
The team had a streaky season that included winning five of seven games in the middle of the schedule with both losses by one goal. That was followed by having only three draws to show for the final seven games, although only being outscored by four goals in their losses during that stretch. In the end, the Red Devils qualified for the North Coast Section Division IV playoffs!
Top player in the DAL
Away from school Gallegos is part of the Diablo Valley Wolves club soccer program. This comes after he played earlier for the San Francisco Glens. Guzman says that as one of the top players in the DAL Gallegos has aspirations to continue his soccer career in college and eventually make it to the professional level. “Jared is a hardworking player but also an attack-minded player so we play him as our attacking midfielder or forward.” The Red Devil star says he believes “hard work pays off.”
The Pioneer congratulates Jared and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for over three decades at Family Vision Care Optometry.
Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@pioneerpublishers.com
Jay Bedecarré
Jay Bedecarré is a long-time resident and writer in Concord and Clayton. He began his newspaper writing career while still a senior at Mt. Diablo High School and he has been part of The Pioneer since its inception in 2003. Jay also operates Bay Area Festivals, presenting events around the San Francisco Bay Area including Bay Area KidFest annually in Downtown Concord.