St. Laurence’s Jesus Salazar recalls struggling to figure out soccer as a young kid. His earliest memories of the sport are not fond ones.

But Salazar certainly has blossomed. He’s now a national champion on the club level and a stalwart as a junior midfielder for the Vikings.

“I started soccer when I was 5 years old and I was pretty bad at it,” Salazar said. “I remember scoring on my own goal. But things have changed. I fell in love with the game and I turned into a big-time player.”

Salazar scored into the correct net in a huge moment Saturday. His goal sealed a 4-2 win for the host Vikings over crosstown rival Reavis in the Class 3A St. Laurence Regional championship game.

Juan Hernandez finished with a goal and an assist for the third-seeded Vikings (20-2-4), who will take on se

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