When you have a group as good as the Murray boys soccer team, no one player is responsible for the success. 

Several Spartans contributed to Murray’s strong season—one that saw the team achieve the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A state tournament after going 16-1 in the regular season. Murray won Region 10 with a 13-1 mark, with its only loss coming at the hands of Layton Christian (the second-place team in the region) by a 2-1 count. 

Pacing the way for the Spartans this season has been a talented midfielder trio: senior Preston Lawson, senior Jason Adams and junior Ryan Diaz. The three players combined for 18 goals as of the team’s second-round playoff win over Hillcrest (2-0 on May 13). Lawson had eight of those goals, with Adams and Diaz each chipping in five apiece. Lawson’s 16 assists leads the team and is fifth in the entire state and second in 4A. Adams has six assists, with Diaz contributing two. 

All three players have years of experience, and that playing time paid dividends for the Spartans. Diaz and Adams started playing at around age 5, while Lawson has been playing for 15 years, including 10 years at the competitive level. As is the case with many high school players, it was the influence of family members that got these three Spartans involved in soccer. 

“My dad always played soccer growing up, and [my parents] thought it would be a good idea to get me started in it when I was younger just to see if I liked it,” Adams said. 

Meanwhile, Lawson and Diaz had brothers played, and those brothers proved to be inspirations. 

In their years of playing, Lawson, Adams and Diaz have played on multiple teams and with numerous different players. But they each said there’s something special about being a part of the Murray High School team. Team unity is strong at Murray, as the players are supportive of one another, and the coaching staff is encouraging and motivating. 

“The best part is the brotherhood that we have with each other and just the memories that we create every day,” Diaz said. 

Lawson loved the family-like feel of the team as well. 

“I love the camaraderie and being able to play with my friends I’ve known since we were little, especially where some of us play on different club teams throughout the year,” he said. 

Adams echoed a lot of what his teammates said and added that he feels a lot of support from people in Murray. 

“I would say that the best part about being on the Murray team is that you are with all your friends that you grew up playing with,” he said. “Even though a lot of us have switched clubs now, it’s fun to play with the same guys that you grew up playing with. It’s also great that we have coaches that want to see us succeed and win, and the community helps us do that as well.”

The Spartans were dominant this season, posting seven shutouts, including the one in the second round of the playoffs against Hillcrest on May 13. Murray won seven games by at least three goals as well. 

Every player on the Spartans’ roster brought something important and unique to the team. Lawson, Adams and Diaz have excellent skills and provide the leadership that head coach Brian DeMann needs. Lawson has a high soccer IQ and said he has developed sound fundamentals. 

“I feel like I understand the game well,” he said. “I’m a student of the game, I’m composed, technical and I’m a good teammate.”

Adams also said he has good knowledge of the sport. He’s a good defender and is skilled at orchestrating the attack and getting the ball to the right people in the right places. 

“I would say that my strengths are my soccer IQ, my one-on-one defending and my ability to play passes at any range,” Adams said. “I am also good about making sure that everyone is on task and pushing towards our goal while staying a leader.” 

As for Diaz, the junior said he has good ball control. He also has confidence in his passing abilities and his defense. 

Adams has lofty objectives, both for himself and for Murray. 

After high school, Adams will attend Tacoma Community College in Washington, where he has committed to play on the school’s soccer team. After two years there, he hopes to transfer to a Division 1 or Division 2 school. Diaz also wants to play at the college level while pursuing a degree. Lawson has some offers from a few colleges to play soccer. He’ll choose a school to attend and continue his soccer career after completing a two-year church mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

The Spartans fell in a shootout to Mountain View on May 15 in the 4A quarterfinals.

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