When Danny Perez arrived at Elgin as a freshman, he had yet to hit his growth spurt.
And that made things difficult for him.
“Freshman year was rough,” said Perez, who’s now a sturdy midfielder. “The kids were four years older than me. I really couldn’t compete. Sophomore year, I came in with more confidence.”
He also had more size, prompting coach Jimmy Romano to wonder what he ate in the offseason.
This season, Perez has emerged as the leading goal scorer for the Maroons, and he added to his total Wednesday night in a Class 3A Streamwood Sectional semifinal against Rockford East.
Perez scored a goal and had an assist as Elgin cruised to a 6-0 victory. He now has a team-high 11 goals to go with six assists.
Roberto Salinas added two goals while Beto Gaytan, Jayden Plancarte and Aaron Saldana also scored for the Maroons (14-3-2), who will play at 4:30 p.m. Friday for the sectional title against Huntley, a 3-0 winner over Hampshire.
Perez not only grew after his freshman season, he also learned to use his body to his advantage. That’s helped him emerge this season for the Maroons.
“With his skill and also his ability to read the game, he’s super strong,” Romano said. “It makes him a dominant player. I think he goes under the radar with teams. Then, I think he shocks them.”
Salinas started the scoring with two quick goals, coming with 38:25 and 36:29 left in the first half. Then Perez got into the act, scoring off Saldana’s assist for a 3-0 lead with 26:11 remaining.
“That was my message to these guys — get out ahead and try to go with the wind,” Romano said. “We have a lot of experience. We have that over a lot of teams. We want to bring that experience, put teams away early, put pressure on them. The guys did just that with three quick goals.
“Fantastic start. Couldn’t ask for anything more from the guys.”
Perez added an assist on Elgin’s final goal. His size helps and can be an effective tool in the box, but Romano said there’s more to his game than just size.
“He is fast and quick on the ball, so they have to defend that side of him as well,” Romano said. “You have to give him the respect and the space, which then allows us to do so much more.
“When you have those physical abilities, you have to give him that respect.”
Unlike last season when Eduardo Nava dominated the stat sheet, the Maroons are more balanced this season, and that aspect was on full display Wednesday.
“I put them in positions where they have the freedom to create,” Romano said. “They have the freedom to use their skills and do it together. That’s what they do in practice.
“They’re all on the same page. They’re all like-minded. That’s what allows such creative goals. Some of these goals are so beautiful.”
Rockford East coach Greg Fiorucci walked away impressed with the Maroons.
“They’re a strong team,” Fiorucci said. “We have four or five guys that can play, and they have 11 or 12, and they showed it. They have a lot of guys that can score. They move the ball real well.
“They deserved to win. They’re one of the better teams we’ve seen. They should do well.”
The Maroons are seeking their third straight sectional title. Advancing past Friday’s game has eluded the program, however.
The most experienced group Romano has had in his three years wants to change that narrative.
“We’ve been here, so this is really nothing,” Perez said. “Our goal is to make it past the supersectional. When we’re playing the best we can be, I think we’re the best team.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
