Khalid Aljirafi Named RM Boys Athlete of the Year

When the lights shine the brightest, the real stars come out to play. 

After an inconsistent regular season, senior Khalid Aljirafi played his best soccer of the season when the Rockets needed him the most. RM finished their division play on a four-game winning streak but only managed to secure the fourth seed in the regional playoffs. Ahead of them in the bracket, were three teams who had beaten them in the regular season. When the goals had been put away for the season, the Rockets stood alone, winning their first regional soccer championship, in large part to the performance and perseverance of Aljirafi. For these reasons, the ability to show up when his performance was vital to the team’s success, and his high character on and off the turf, Aljirafi truly deserves the honor of RM’s Boys Athlete of the Year.

Aljirafi, a senior midfielder, had some struggles at the beginning of the season, missing a few games due to time away from the team playing internationally for the Saudi Arabian National Team. However, after a loss to Churchill midway through the season, they began a seven-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory against Blake, then rattled off three more against Wootton, Springbrook, and Rockville, setting up a first-round matchup versus WJ. 

Aljirafi came prepared, netting his first varsity hat trick in a black and gold jersey, propelling RM to a 4-1 first-round victory. He scored three straight unanswered goals in the second half to secure the win, as the Rockets would advance to their second straight regional semifinals, this time against the top-seeded Bulldogs. 

“Khalid was a very important piece and a very big reason for our success in the playoffs,” senior attackman Cody Da said. “He may not have put up the best stats early in the season but come playoffs he just went crazy, he was scoring left and right in almost every game. He turned up when it really mattered.”

Aljrafi arrived again for RM against the county champions, playing hero with yet another multi-goal game, scoring two pivotal goals in the Rocket’s 3-2 overtime win over Churchill. Trailing 1-0 for most of the game, Aljirafi struck first 15 minutes into the second half connecting with a cross from Hassan Elsayed and scoring again just minutes later after an errant pass.

Four days later, the Rockets played their third straight away game in the regional championship against Whitman HS. As the pressure mounted on RM, some doubted if they could continue their hot streak against a team they had already lost to this season. Aljirafi scored early in the game, his sixth of the postseason, putting RM up early, a lead the team would hold for almost another 60 minutes. He fought through a cramp late in the game but continued to impact the game in almost every aspect. 

“Khalid just wanted to win more than anyone else, and that really showed on the field,” sophomore goalie Max Sobel said. “He just worked harder than the players we were playing against which was really important in our playoff run this season.”

When Whitman tied the game in the waning seconds of regulation, and neither team could score in extra time, Aljirafi had an important penalty to extend RM’s advantage to 2-1, before sophomore goalie Solomon Snowdy would make the game-winning save minutes later. 

Aljirafi capped off his senior season with a trophy, but made an even bigger impact on his team through his encouragement and support. As a captain, he portrayed what it meant to be both a dynamic player and an efficient leader. Aljirafi impressed both his teammates on varsity and his coaches who pushed him to be more than a goal-scorer.

“His leadership and belief in our success were crucial in our journey to a historical regional championship. Khalid exemplifies what it means to be a Rocket,” senior defenseman Kevin Baer said.

While Khalid deserves accolades for his play last fall, it is his leadership on and off the pitch that earned him this inaugural award. Head Coach Brian Urioste challenged him to a bigger role on the team, using his skill and understanding of the game to teach and encourage his teammates. Coach Urioste believed the team had the talent to go far, but questioned the mental strength of his squad when pressure built and tensions grew. Aljirafi answered those questions.

“He made sure his teammates were always thinking positively throughout the game, through the good and the bad, and always supported anyone that came on or off the field,” Coach Urioste said. “More importantly, he celebrated everyone’s goals or saves as if it was one of his. This helped our team become a family, and with that bond that Khalid and our captains created, it set us off for a wonderful playoff run.”