Alex Barrientos is a senior at Duncan High School, where he’s a star player on the Demons soccer squad. Barrientos is a four-year starter, playing at either the forward or midfielder positions. Barrientos immediately contributed his freshman season, helping the Demons become the school’s first squad to host a playoff match. The following season, Barrientos scored the game-winning goal against Lawton Ike to qualify the Demons for the postseason. 

“It felt good scoring the game-winning goal with all the adrenaline that came with it,” Barrientos said. “It’s an unbelievable feeling to score a game-winning goal alongside your teammates.”

Last year, the boys’ team had 12 seniors but then Covid-19 ruined the season three games into the 2020 season. This spring, Barrientos enters as one of three seniors alongside a familiar face as the new head coach. David Shaw takes the reigns as the Demons head coach after serving as the boys’ assistant coach and girls head coach last season. Before the start of the 2021 season, Duncan defeated Noble in a scrimmage, 3-0, with Barrientos scoring all three goals for the Demons.

Upon graduation, Barrientos plans to keep playing soccer at the next level.

“I’m going to keep pushing myself to keep playing the sport that I love the most,” Barrientos said. “I’m ready to go out and give it my all in my last season.”

Wherever Barrientos attends, he plans to study to become a mechanic thanks to a passion for cars that he shares with his dad, Adolfo, and older brother, Adolfo Jr., who was also a standout player at Duncan as the team’s goalkeeper. 

Barrientos credits his family for all the success he’s had on and off the field.

“I enjoy spending time with my family because family is the most important thing to me,” Barrientos said. “Not too long ago, my father passed away, and I learned a lot from him on how to be a loving person and family person. And I know he would always want me to spend time with my family.”