Two Seniors, One Goal: Eastside Catholic’s Miguel and Davis Lead Crusaders with Passion and Perseverance
From Argentina to Italy, their soccer roots are different, but their determination to leave a lasting impact is the same.
SAMMAMISH, Wash. – Two seniors. Two different backgrounds. One connection: Soccer.
For Eastside Catholic’s Santi Miguel and Edward Davis, soccer has always been a defining part of their lives.
Miguel’s parents are from Argentina, so he grew up idolizing legends like Lionel Messi. Davis, born in Torino, Italy, has deep roots in the sport – his grandfather, Pietro, was the team doctor for Torino FC, making the club his hometown team.
Their love for soccer brought them to Eastside Catholic, where they are now in their final season with the Crusaders. With one shared goal, they aim to carry forward the momentum they’ve built throughout their careers.
So far, so good. The team boasts a 3-0 record heading into today’s game at Ingraham.
“It’s going well so far,” Miguel said. “Three games, 3-0. It’s looking good. We’ve had some setbacks, but we’ve been able to push through and keep playing.”
Those setbacks included games where the Crusaders had to play without one or both of their senior captains. The most challenging moment came last Friday against Chief Sealth when both Miguel and Davis were absent, and the team went down a man in the first five minutes due to a red card.
“We were playing down a man, losing 1-0, and the team brought it back to a 2-1 win,” Miguel said. “That’s really important, especially since we’re both captains and we couldn’t be there. The team did a great job without us.”
While Miguel was attending a college ID camp, Davis missed two games due to a family emergency. On March 18, just before practice, he received a call from his mother. His grandmother, Stefana, had passed away.
“I was gutted,” he said.
He found solace on the field, but when practice ended, Coach [Name] gathered the team and told them, “Give Eddie a big hug.”
“That helped a lot,” Davis said. “There are people around who support me.”
Davis flew to Torino for a week before returning on Monday. As he continues to process his loss, he finds comfort in his teammates’ support and the game he loves.
Now, with both seniors back in the lineup, Miguel and Davis are focused on winning.
“I think we have a very strong team,” Miguel said. “The biggest thing is mentality. We play three games a week, and that’s tough on the body, especially in a high-intensity sport like soccer. We definitely have the skill to compete.”
While their high school careers are winding down, both players have ambitious plans for the future.
Davis will spend 10 months in Spain at ETURE, an academy designed to help players develop before transitioning to college programs.
“It’s an academy, basically,” Davis explained. “You live there, they set you up with a local team, and you develop mentally, physically, and on the pitch.”
Miguel has offers from several Division II and Division III schools but is looking for the right opportunity to prove himself as a “small fish in a big pond.” He may even follow a similar path to Davis.
He previously trained at the River Plate FC Academy in Argentina, the club tied to his parents’ hometown, but an injury cut his experience short.
“Over there, everybody lives it and breathes it,” Miguel said. “The level is insane. The kids have been training together at the same club since they were 8 years old.”
He hopes to return to River Plate but is keeping his options open.
With the evolving landscape of college soccer recruiting, Miguel and Davis – like many athletes – are taking creative paths to the next level. For them, that journey includes international opportunities.
Still, while the future is bright, they are focused on the present – one last season together.
“We’re getting the ball rolling,” Davis said. “I feel like we’ve invested a lot in this program, and it’s going to keep growing. If we can set the expectation to be in state, not just dream about it, we can provide motivation for the future.”