By JAY WILSON

For the first time in 14 months, on Saturday and Sunday, March 27 and 28, the competitive teams from the Crusaders Soccer Club were allowed to play games against teams from other soccer clubs throughout San Diego County. Thus, began the first of up to 10 weeks of weekend games for this unusual spring season for competitive teams.

“It was a great weekend to see our teams playing real games against teams from throughout San Diego. Every week our teams are playing games on our fields throughout San Diego County,” said Rene Miramontes, director of coaching for Crusaders Soccer Club. “Our players and coaches have been diligently training two and three times a week since June and to see them actually playing a real game was just outstanding.”

A competitive spring season is unusual for the soccer clubs affiliated with the Presidio Soccer League. The competitive season is scheduled to run through May.

All you have to do is look at the faces of the players. You can see the excitement on their faces. After hours and hours of practice, they finally have an opportunity to play real games against teams from other clubs. For several of the Crusaders competitive teams it was their first competitive game because last fall they were playing in the Crusaders recreational division and made the leap up to the competitive level.

In addition to all the competitive games, 46 recreational division teams continue with their very successful spring season which plays on Sundays through May 2.

A special thanks to Mark Dirkes, a Crusaders competitive coaches and owner of MD Coating & Specialty Finishes, for donating the manpower, paint and the large Crusaders letters and logo now featured on the south side of the Crusaders cargo container on the Pershing Middle School field.

For more information about the Crusaders Soccer Club, visit our website at crusaderssocer.org or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

— Jay Wilson writes on behalf of Crusaders Soccer Club.