FRANKLIN LAGOS OF HOBBS NAMED GATORADE NEW MEXICO BOYS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Gatorade today announced Franklin Lagos of Hobbs High School is the 2023-24 Gatorade New Mexico Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Lagos is the first Gatorade New Mexico Boys Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Hobbs High School.
The award, which celebrates the nation’s top high school athletes for excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community, distinguishes Lagos as New Mexico’s best high school boys soccer player. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport, touting an all-star group of alumni that includes Lyle Yorks (1987-88, E.O. Smith High School, Conn.), Alecko Eskandarian (1999-00, Bergen Catholic High School, N.J.) and Ben Bender (2019-20, Calvert Hall College High School, Md.).
The 5-foot-9, 135-pound senior midfielder and forward led the Eagles to a 23-0 record and the Class 5A state championship this past season. Lagos scored 16 goals and passed for eight assists in his only season of high school soccer (having played club exclusively prior to that). He was the District 4-5A Player of the Year and a First Team All-State selection as well as a United Soccer Coaches High School All-American honoree.
Lagos has volunteered locally at an elder care facility and as part of elementary school literacy campaigns. He has also donated his time to multiple community service initiatives through his church youth group. “Franklin has the best first touch and the ability to bring a ball out of the air better than I have ever seen in my soccer career,” said Reyes Marquez, head coach of Hobbs High School. “His game IQ and on-the-field presence played a major part in our undefeated season.”
Lagos has maintained a B average in the classroom as an upperclassman. He remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
Lagos joins recent Gatorade New Mexico Boys Soccer Players of the Year Finnegan Saunders (2022-23, Sandia Preparatory School), Alex Waggoner (2021-22, Santa Fe High School), Marcus Garcia (2020-21, St. Pius X High School) and Gabe Legendre (2019-20, Sue Cleveland High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.
