Tampa Catholic’s Marcello Valbuena, who led the team in scoring en route to its first state title, has already been named the 3A player of the year and Mr. Soccer, the two awards given to the top boys player in each class and the overall winner in the sport by the Florida Dairy Farmers.

Now add Gatorade state player of the year to the list.  

The University of Tampa signee, who decided to play high school soccer for the first time after spending years at the club level, took top honors from the sports-themed beverage company after finishing the season with 36 goals and five assists. In the 3A state title match, the senior forward connected on two goals within an eight-minute span to give Tampa Catholic its first lead, one that would last the rest of the match to secure the Crusaders’ first state title in boys soccer. 

Valbuena excels off the field, too. He maintained a 3.3 GPA in the classroom and has travelled to Costa Rica with a Global Leadership soccer program, where he built soccer fields and helped refurbish recreational playgrounds. 

Valbuena also has volunteered locally at a food bank and homeless shelter, in addition to donating his time by collecting sporting equipment for underprivileged youth.