Stevenson defender Mohit Damodaran had to bide his time during his sophomore year.
That wasn’t easy for him to do. But the Patriots were loaded two years ago, and coach PepeJon Chavez didn’t have room for Damodaran on the varsity roster. So Damodaran watched the Patriots go undefeated during the regular season and finish third in Class 3A.
“When I first learned I was on the sophomore team, I was a little bit disappointed,” he said. “Toward the end of the season, I accepted the fact and was happy for the varsity team and supported them. Coach had his reasons for the good of the team.”
Damodaran decided to buckle down.
“They had better players ahead of me,” he said. “I worked hard and enjoyed my sophomore year.”
Damodaran said he “really wanted to prove coach wrong,” but it turned out that he didn’t need to prove anything to Chavez, who already knew he was a talented, hardworking player. Damodaran simply got caught in a numbers game.
“Mohit is a next-level player,” Chavez said. “We had such a strong team in 2022. We saw his talent. Mohit was the No. 1 player on our whiteboard for years.
“He had an outstanding sophomore year. I was impressed with his diligence and commitment. He was able to lead his team and now leads us.”
Indeed, Damodaran is a steady presence for the Patriots (3-1-2) on the back line in his second varsity season. The 5-foot-10 senior captain is a physical player with excellent technical skills and a high IQ, and he makes it difficult for opponents to challenge junior goalkeeper Matthew Rutcosky.
“He shuts down every team’s No. 1 player,” Chavez said of Damodaran. “He has great range and wins 70% of the balls in the air. He’s great with the ball on the floor. He’s so disciplined in the back.
“He leads the team. He’s one of the guys that his teammates respect.”
Stevenson senior forward Jack Bacher said Damodaran is a relentless defender.
“Mohit has a great ability to win tackles and clutch 1v1s,” Bacher said. “I’ve never trusted a defender so much when they get beat by an offender. Mohit is the type of defender that will chase you all the way down the sideline, then have the perfect slide tackle that will take you out mentally and physically.”
Damodaran said he particularly likes to play against elite forwards.
“I love stopping shots and shutting down the other team’s striker,” he said. “I also love making key tackles in big games.”
Damodaran said he probably won’t play soccer in college, so he’s savoring every minute of this season as he tries to lead the Patriots back to state.
“My senior year has been really fun,” he said. “I’m enjoying it. I’m trying to have fun in my last year in high school and all the other stuff because I think it’s too farfetched to play in college. I’m looking at more high-end schools, like Indiana and Purdue, and some top Division I schools that have really good soccer programs that are not cut out for me.
“I’m not trying to regret anything in terms of soccer and giving my all. I want to leave everything on the field.”
Bacher said Damodaran always does that.
“Mohit adds an unbelievable vibe to the team, on and off the field, because his love for the game brings the tempo up for all the 25 people on the team,” Bacher said. “He also brings stability to our team due to his great ability to adapt. He can fit into so many systems and play almost any spot on the field, which is a very special skill to have.”
Damodaran, who also plays the violin, credits his success in soccer to his father.
“At first, I didn’t like the sport, but as I played it more and more and I got into a travel team, I really realized that soccer is such a beautiful sport,” he said. “There’s so many little things you do that add up to a good ending.
“I also love running, so that led me to the sport. But my dad loved playing soccer growing up. He wanted that dream to be passed onto his son.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
