Justin Martinez and Samuel Munoz signed with Paris Junior College to further their academic and athletic careers. The duo has been an integral part of the Pampa High School Soccer team.
“Seeing all of the support here today means a lot,” Martinez said. “My teammates are my family so their support always means so much to me. Seeing my family here, cheering me on encourages me to keep going.”
Martinez plans to attend Paris JuCo and continue on the path he’s laid behind in Pampa.
“I want to get down there and keep up the work I’ve done here in Pampa,” Martinez said. “Doing that with my teammate means even more. Sam is a huge part of why the team did so well. Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did.”
Martinez isn’t set on a career path just yet, but the idea of being a teacher/coach is a big factor in what he’ll decide to do.
“My teachers and coaches here in Pampa have been so amazing, so helpful and encouraging that I’d like to be that for someone else,” Martinez said. “I haven’t fully decided yet. So for now, my focus is getting down there and doing the work on the field and finishing my basics so I can move to what’s next.”
Martinez and Munoz are the second duo this year to sign onto the same schools. Madox Jones and Andres Cervantes signed earlier in the semester to Hardin Simmons to both continue for football.
Munoz shared in the love shown by teammates and family present to celebrate the huge moment for the duo.
“Coming from a small town, it’s mind-blowing how much of an impact we can make,” Munoz said. “Going onto the next level, I’m looking forward to continuing with the connection Justin and I have. We’ve been told by many coaches that the two of us are a powerhouse. So I’m looking forward to keeping that going.”
Munoz plays as a center-attacking midfielder, right behind Martinez in his spot as striker.
“Justin is a such good player, there’s not much to say about him, so hearing that my support matters to him means so much,” Munoz said. “My job is to feed him the ball and let him score and he does it so well. It takes the whole team to accomplish what we’ve done.”
Munoz will also focus on finishing his basics at Paris JuCo, then going on to pursue engineering.
“I just want to say thank you to my parents, my sisters, and the whole soccer team,” Munoz said. “To the town and the support we’ve received over the years. This is home, it’s where it all started for me. I’ll keep up with the great things the guys back here are doing.”
Huge congratulations to Justin Martinez and Samuel Munoz on their next step.
