Seguro marks 30 years at the helm of West Hartford’s Hall High School boys soccer program.

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Hall boys soccer players prepare for the 2024 season. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

By Paul Palmer

They may be the defending Class LL State Champions, but Hall boys soccer coach Zeke Seguro knows going back-to-back will be tougher than winning last year’s title.

“LL is so stacked,” he said. “We want to strive to accomplish something really special again this year, but it is going to take a lot of hard work … and staying healthy.”

The Titans have 13 returning players, 10 of whom are seniors, and six that Seguro says saw significant playing time last year. “We will be good, but only time will tell if we can get back to last year’s level.”

Then lessons are already coming fast for the team in their practices. There is not a lot of silence when Seguro is running things. He’s always directing, praising, teaching – and yes, sometimes letting his players know that they can do better. If you want to defend a state title, the margin for error is very small, and in some ways it seems Seguro is okay with that.

Coach Zeke Seguro is entering his 30th season at the helm of the boys soccer program at West Hartford’s Hall High School. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

He’s a coach that always enjoys a challenge, looking not only for his players to be better each game, but also himself. “We are not the favorites this year,” he said at a recent practice. “But we can work hard and develop ourselves to get in position to do something special.” No team has repeated as Class LL boys soccer champs since Glastonbury in 2017 and 2018.

Seguro says he sees 14 teams with realistic chances to raise the crown at the end of the year. “There are a lot of good teams here and down south (in the state).” The Titans will have a chance to see many of them during the regular season – including Glastonbury, which they host in their home opener on Sept. 5, as well as Farmington, which returns nearly a complete roster from a year ago, Fairfield Prep, and others they would not see until states like Greenwich, Xavier, and Stamford.

Hall boys soccer players at practice the week before school begins as they prepare for the 2024 season. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

“We have to come and work hard, and believe in what we do, and get better each day,” said Seguro. “Only one team is victorious at the end of the day and if we all become better players and individuals, I’ll live with the consequences.”

A look at Hall’s trips to the final under Seguro shows just how right he is. Last year they beat Stamford 1-0 for the title. The year before that they lost in penalty kicks to Greenwich. In 2019 it was a 3-1 win over Greenwich, and in 2018, a loss to Glastonbury.

The Hall team and coaches pose with their medals and the championship plaque. Hall vs. Stamford Class LL Championship. Nov. 18, 2023. Photo credit: Ronni Newton (we-ha.com file photo)

This is also something of a milestone year for Seguro as it marks year number 30 as the bench boss for Hall boys soccer. Not bad for something he said started as just a five-year plan. “I guess you could say it’s now my sixth, five-year plan we’re working on,” he said with a smile.

Last year’s team went 15-5-3, and it was an eight-game win streak at the end of the season that propelled them to the Class LL title. It was a strong defense that led the way, surrendering just two goals over that span – including shutouts in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final game last year. Hall returns much of that defense with goalie Quinn Freeman, and backs Ben Goldstein, Sully Clancy, and Fareed Abuarbia, who split time between midfield and defense.

“We’ve also got some guys we want to work into the back as well,” said Seguro. He adds that across the board there are juniors and even some sophomores that he is hoping will step up as the season progresses.

Thirty years is a long time to do anything, and for some it might be a time to think about hanging it up. “I love it too much to stop,” Seguro said of coaching. “As long as I feel I have the energy, relate to the kids, and offer them a great experience, I’ll continue to do it.”

Hall boys soccer coach Zeke Seguro on the sidelines of a recent practice as the team prepares for the 2024 season. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

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