When Jorge Maldonado came back to coach the Hollywood High School boys soccer team this year, he noticed a very key component was missing. The Hollywood Sheiks finished 4-4-5 last season and Maldonado attributed the lackluster year to a lack of discipline. His first day on the job, the team already knew he would not put up with any nonsense.

The Hollywood High School varsity boy’s soccer team is off to a fast start this year after missing the playoffs last season. (photo by Rafael Guerrero)

“Last year this team had a lot of infighting and received a lot of dumb cards [penalties] on the field,” Maldonado said. “I bring a lot of discipline to this team and they knew that right off the bat because of my reputation.”

Maldonado has been involved with Hollywood High School for almost 15 years. He started as a math teacher in July 1996 and, aside from the 2003-04 school year and last year, has taught at the school ever since.

Maldonado coached Sheiks boys’ soccer from 1997 to 2003 and girls’ softball in 2001. He switched to coaching the girls soccer team from 2006 to 2009. He went 42-10-4 while coaching the girls’ team before he was transferred to teach at Roybal High School in 2010. He was transferred back to Hollywood High School this year and was given another opportunity to coach the boys. Maldonado admitted he did not expect much when he first took over the team.

“I didn’t have high expectations,” Maldonado said.

Maldonado did not know much about the team he was inheriting, but his expectations changed when he saw them in action.

“I wasn’t familiar with the team at first,” Maldonado said. “But once I saw them on the field, I was surprised to find that there was a lot of talent on this team.”

The team kept working and Maldonado instilled a new work ethic, emphasizing that the game needed to be played “mentally as well as physically.” His emphasis on discipline drew a positive response from the players and was something the team sorely needed.

Assistant coach Edwin Sinecio echoed the team’s appreciation for Maldonado’s more structured style.

“It’s a totally different year,” Sinecio said. “With coach Maldonado, the first priority is discipline and that’s what you need in order to have a good team.”

Sinecio has been involved with the boys soccer team at Hollywood High School since 1995. He has assisted the various coaches for most of those years and was the head coach for the 2007-08 season. He led the Sheiks to a 10-2-5 record that year, losing to Taft High School in the third round of the playoffs. Sinecio said the team could go far this season.

“My expectation is for this team to take the league championship,” Sinecio said.

One key player is senior forward Andy Sandoval. Maldonado has known Sandoval since his freshman year and has been impressed with him ever since.

“He has showed tremendous talent since he was in ninth grade,” Maldonado said.

Sandoval is in his second season playing varsity and leads the team with six goals this season.

Jimmy Espinal is another player Maldonado expects to carry the team. The five-foot-two Espinal is also in his second year on the varsity team and the senior midfielder takes all of the free kicks for the Sheiks. He has scored three goals this year and is tied for second on the team.

“He may be small but he is a tremendous player,” Maldonado said. “He has a tremendous shot and great knowledge of how to play soccer.”

Maldonado expects the road to a league title to be very difficult. They recorded a tie in their first Central League contest against Belmont High School and had to come back from a two-goal deficit to defeat Kennedy Community High School 4-3 on Jan. 12.

“There are really no weak teams in our league,” Maldonado said. “Everyone of these teams could potentially become the league champion.”

Still, Maldonado is confident his team’s talent will carry them to the top of the Central League and maybe further.

“Once I saw the potential we had, I have come to expect a minimum of a league championship this year and then make it to the second or third round of the playoffs,” Maldonado said.