Enrique Murillo finalized his college plans last week.
A four-year starter on Ceres High School’s boys soccer team, Murillo will continue his playing career at UC Merced.
“It relieves a lot of stress off my back now that I know what I’m going to be doing,” he said. “I worked hard for this. I’m excited. I’m ready to start the next chapter in my life.”
Murillo’s signing ceremony was held in front of family, friends, teammates and coaches on Friday at Ceres High’s student amphitheater.
Parents Edgar and Erika, siblings Kasandra, Jasmin, Carlos and Santiago, and grandparents Saul and Ana attended the event.
“It was pretty special being able to sign in front of them,” he said.
A first-generation college student, Murillo hopes to inspire his two younger brothers.
Carlos, 10, just started playing for the Modesto-based Stanislaus United Soccer Club. Santiago is a newborn.
“It’s good I can be a role model,” he said. “I put the pressure on myself. I push him (Carlos) a lot. Hopefully, he sees what I’m doing and it keeps him on the right track.”
Murillo was recruited to play forward for UC Merced, which posted a program-best 12-1-3 overall record, claimed the California Pacific Conference Tournament Championship, earned a share of the regular season league title and advanced to the second round of the NAIA National Tournament.
“The campus and classrooms are nice,” he said. “I like the (soccer) program. They’ve done really well the last few years. I’m going to continue to live at home. My family will be able to watch me play. I’ll fit perfectly there.”
Murillo was recruited by UC Merced head coach Albert Martins.
“He watched me play a few times,” Murillo said. “He reached out. I felt a connection with him and the team.”
The Bobcats will compete as an NCAA Division-II school this fall. UC Merced will relocate from the Cal Pac Conference to the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
“I know I’ll touch the field as a freshman,” Murillo said. “But it’s got to be earned. That’s the goal.”
Murillo enjoyed individual and team success as a key member of Ceres High’s boys soccer program.
“He’s one of the best players I’ve ever coached in high school,” Ceres High head coach Gilbert Zamora Jr. said. “He made my job easier. He made the program better.”
Murillo totaled four goals while logging playing time in just five games this past winter.
He had his senior season cut short due to a left hamstring injury.
He had surgery in February to repair two muscle tears.
“It’s an injury that takes months to recover from,” Zamora said. “He wanted to play with a dead leg. In the long run, it wasn’t safe.”
“I got hurt in the preseason,” Murillo stated. “It sucked not being out there. I knew I could have contributed a lot. I’m still rehabbing once a week. By May, I should be back to jogging and strengthening.”
“When he got injured, our season fell apart,” Zamora added. “We would have had a different season with him on the field.”
Murillo enjoyed his best season to date with the Bulldogs as a junior.
He was voted the Western Athletic Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year.
He collected 12 goals and two assists in league play.
He accumulated 17 goals on the year.
“That was me showing what I could really do,” Murillo said.
Murillo was named to the WAC First Team as a sophomore.
He tallied seven goals and nine assists.
Murillo earned a roster spot on Ceres High’s varsity team in the ninth grade.
He scored 14 goals and dished out six assists for the Bulldogs, who posed a 16-6-1 overall record, finished first in the WAC with a 12-1-1 mark and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-III playoffs.
“Once we started tryouts, he was playing better than seniors I had for four years,” said Zamora. “I knew he was going to be a talented player.”
A model student-athlete, Murillo currently has a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5.
“I found a balance and stuck with the same routine all four years,” he said. “It wasn’t easy. It was definitely a struggle. I had to stay disciplined and motivated.”
Murillo has yet to decide what he’ll major in at UC Merced.
He’ll use academic scholarship grants to pay for his college education.
“I’m pretty much going to school for free,” he said. “That’s such a blessing.”
Murillo has been a member of the Danville-based Mustang Soccer Club for the past four years.
“I started with them the summer going into my freshman year. All the time I put in was to make it to the next level. There are definitely a lot of people that have helped me along the way. I’ve been playing club soccer since 10. It’s not cheap. The sacrifices my parents made were huge. I respect what they did for me. That was the motivation.”
Murillo also praised Ceres High’s coaching staff, including Zamora and Ozzie Ramos.
“Coach Zamora played a role bigger than a coach. He’s done a lot for me over these four years. I also learned a lot from Ozzie. He’s definitely been a role model.”
“Enrique loves the sport of soccer,” Zamora added. “That’s all he does. That’s his life. If he keeps on learning, he’s going to become a better player. He knows the game. He can play at a very high level.”
