By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

No one anticipated Osceola’s boys soccer trip to the regional final, but forward Maikel Bonilla, a prime reason for the team’s success, enjoyed the ride.

“It was a great season,” he said.

Bonilla’s 37 goals led Osceola County and helped the Kowboys enjoy their best-ever season with a 22-7-1 record.

“I never thought we’d make it so far,” Bonilla, a junior, said. “I thought we’d make it to the first round of the regionals.”

But, the Kowboys simply didn’t know when to stop, not at the district tournament, where they beat St. Cloud 2-0 to win the district championship. Not at the regional quarterfinals, where they blasted Orlando Edgewater, 4-1, and not at the regional semifinals, where they battled Winter Springs to a 5-4 penalty kick decision.

Finally, Tampa Gaither put an end to Osceola’s heroics, 2-1, at the regional final at Kowboys field.

“The second half killed us after they scored that goal (four minutes into the second half). We didn’t play that well,” Bonilla said of the Gaither game.

Bonilla is the Osceola News-Gazette Boys Soccer Player of the Year with Gateway senior Felipe Oliveira.

Osceola Coach Tom Bell said it is difficult to choose among the many key players on his team for postseason honors, but he said Bonilla’s work ethic and dedication stand out.

“You never have to worry about Maikel. He is going to be exactly where you want him to be, doing what you need him to do,” Bell said. “He will do whatever he needs to do to help his team win, whether it’s scoring or making an assist or dropping back to play defense. We’ve got a lot of great ones on this team, but he stands out.”

Bonilla was born in Costa Rica and has lived in the U.S. since he was 7.

He’s played soccer longer than that. “Since I was 2,” he said. “Soccer is the only sport I’ve played.”

His club team is Hunter’s Creek United, where he will compete in tournaments to prepare for his senior year.

“I like playing the high school season more because you’re representing your school,” he said.

He was one of the five Kowboys who scored on a penalty kick to beat Winter Springs. He said he pays no attention to what the goalie is doing when he takes a penalty shot. He has a predetermined target and he sticks with it.

“I blast it as hard as I can,” he said.

Osceola loses standouts such as goalie Jeanfred Santos and his brother, Allanfredo Santos, Jon Fraiere, Eddie Gonzalez, Wilmer Canales, Juan Silva and Greg Martinez to graduation.

Bonilla said he is prepared to step forward as a team leader to ensure continued success for the Kowboys.

“It’s going to be tough to replace that whole senior group, but I’m going to tell the young guys who come in to just work hard,” he said.