Varsity 4 All-News4JAX boys soccer: Mandarin’s Robert Calazans saved his best for last

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Robert Calazans fell in love with soccer at a young age and never looked back.

The Mandarin senior forward and Varsity 4 All-News4JAX boys soccer player of the year saved his best for last, racking up a career-high 33 goals to help push the Mustangs into their second consecutive state championship game. Not long after that, Calazans signed with the University of North Florida. It’s the things dreams are made of, and something Calazans set as a goal just about as soon as he learned how to play the game.

Calazans has played soccer for as long as memory stretches back. Born in Jacksonville, Calazans and his family moved to Brazil when he was still a toddler. There, his father, Max, put a soccer ball on Robert’s foot when he was an infant and the fuse was lit.

“I was born into it. My dad, like when I was like 1-year-old he was just already giving me a soccer ball playing it. And then I started playing like competitive soccer in Brazil, like when I was 4. He brought me into the sport and they just made me like fall in love with it.”

At Mandarin, Calazans became a star over his final two seasons, helping power the Mustangs offensively. He finished his career with 66 goals, half of those coming this season.

As smooth as Calazans looked on the field, his path to Mandarin wasn’t nearly as linear.

Calazans said his family made the difficult decision to move back to Jacksonville from Brazil that in hindsight, turned out to be the best choice that they could have made.

“Life wasn’t going well over there. We got robbed there in our house,” Calazans said. “I got pneumonia as well, and I was in [the hospital] for like 30 days. I was really close to dying and I had to relearn how to walk and everything.”

Calazans said that battle with pneumonia included multiple surgeries to drain fluid and blood off his lungs to help him be able to breathe normally again.

Varsity 4 All-News4JAX boys soccer players of the year

“Knowing that I lived it means that God still has a plan for me and still had like a journey and like a future for me to have,” Calazans said.

Back in the States and healthy by the time he was 8 years old, Calazans’ soccer future ramped up. His father, Max, and mother, Alessandro, kept him active in the sport and ascending. When Calazans arrived at Mandarin as a freshman in 2022, his contributions were immediate. He started all four seasons on the veteran-heavy squad, finally breaking out as a junior with 23 goals and 12 assists as Mandarin took an unbeaten record into the state championship game before an agonizing 1-0 loss.

“We like built such good connections on and off the pitch that brought us like brothers for life. Like we’re going to have like friends for the rest of our lives that we’re going to talk to and hang out with, go to each other’s weddings. Coach [Jason] Cooley says this all the time,” he said.

“And just all these experiences that I experienced with all my teammates and friends at school and like winning those titles, the Gateway, district, regionals. And for all the practices, it was so much fun. These four years, they flew by, but it was honestly one of the greatest four years of my life.”

All-News4JAX boys soccer team

First team

Position, Player, School, Class

F Robert Calazans, Mandarin, Sr.

Scored 33 goals and added 14 assists to lead Mustangs to Class 6A state championship game for second straight season. Finished career with 66 goals and 32 assists. Has signed with UNF. Two-time All-News4JAX selection.

F Sebastian Hernandez, Creekside, Sr.

Leading scorer for the Knights. Had 11 goals and 11 assists to help push Knights to 15-4-2 record.

F Davi Martins, Beachside, Sr.

Leader of the state champion Barracudas. Had 28 goals, five assists in 19-2-2 season, capped by winning goal in OT over Pembroke Pines Charter in Class 5A title game.

MF Dominic Nazario, Tocoi Creek, Sr.

Scored seven of his team-leading 13 goals in January as Toros heated up down the stretch. Added six assists.

MF Brayden Sandoval, Ponte Vedra, Sr.

All over the field for the Sharks but an excellent disruptor. Led team with 45 steals.

MF Santiago Suarez, Beachside, Sr.

Distributing mid had 13 assists, 10 goals as Barracudas won Class 5A state championship in OT.

D Charlie DeVooght, Episcopal, Sr.

Rose above just being a shutdown defender for 22-1-3 Eagles. In addition to elite-level defense that led to 16 shutouts, had 17 assists and nine goals. Headed to Belmont Abbey. Second-team selection last year.

D Mateus DeBem, Mandarin, Sr.

All-around talent for the Mustangs and a neutralizer in the back of the defense. Had four goals in Mandarin’s run to state championship game.

D/MF AJ Diana, Bishop Kenny, Sr.

Defender and mid who led Crusaders with 13 goals and three assists in 13-3-3 season and run to regional finals.

D Trae Gisel, Creekside, Jr.

Scored career-high seven goals and added six assists as Knights went 15-4-2 and reached second round of state playoffs.

D Austin Kerns, Beachside, Sr.

Lockdown centerback contributed on offense, too (four goals, two assists) to help Barracudas win Class 5A state title.

GK Drew Monti, Episcopal, Sr.

Elite keeper who had 16 shutouts and allowed just 12 goals for Eagles. Also hit game-clinching PKH in state semis and denied top-seeded Tampa Prep on two PK attempts. Headed to Sewanee – University of the South. Two-time All-News4JAX selection.

Second team

Position, Player, School, Class

F Robert Adams, Episcopal, Sr.

Leading scorer for state runner-up Eagles. Had 21 goals and 10 assists, including the equalizing score in the state semis against Tampa Prep. Scored eight goals in five playoff games.

F Luke Amann, Creekside, Jr.

Best season of his career for Knights. Scored nine goals and added eight assists. Up to 23 goals, 20 assists in his career.

F Gustavo Carvalho, Bartram Trail, Sr.

Leading scorer for the 12-4-3 Bears, who were one of the area’s top teams.

F Nick Churchill, Ponte Vedra, Sr.

Three-year player for Sharks. Had 10 goals and five assists in 12-2-3 season.

MF Hobbs Breidenstein, St. Augustine, Sr.

Did a bit of everything for the 15-6-2 Yellow Jackets. Second on team in goal scoring (13) and led the way in assists (10).

MF Tysen Janda, Jr., Fleming Island, Sr.

Had seven assists and five goals to his work in the midfield for 10-4-3 Golden Eagles.

MF Grady Lewis, Wolfson, Sr.

Three-year player for the Wolfpack. Had seven goals and five assists in 10-5-6 season.

D Trey Forster, Fletcher, Sr.

One of the top defenders in Gateway Conference. Had three goals and three assists for 9-9-3 Senators.

D Carson Garner, Beachside, Sr.

Stout Barracudas’ centerback provided a touch of scoring (two goals, two assists) in state championship season.

D Thomas Pollack, Nease, Sr.

Three-year contributor for the Panthers. Added career-best five goals, two assists and led Nease in steals (488) in his final season.

GK Keegan Cornett, Ponte Vedra, Sr.

Elite in the net for the Sharks. Made 45 saves and allowed just 11 goals for 12-2-3 Ponte Vedra.

GK Hudson Drum, Bolles, Sr.

Committed to the College of Charleston. Made 106 saves and allowed just 17 goals for Bulldogs.

Honorable mention

Position, Player, School, Class

F Jean Abboud, Stanton, Sr.

MF Gonzalo Aguilar, Fernandina Beach, Sr.

D Jordan Akhlaghi, Wolfson, Jr.

MF Cameron Alves, Tocoi Creek, Sr.

F Rami Amiri, Flagler Palm Coast, Sr.

F Javier Aponte, Creekside, Jr.

GK Luxiah Beard, Mandarin, Sr.

F Bodie Brafford, St. Johns Country Day, Sr.

MF Emilio Calderon, Bishop Kenny, Sr.

MF Simon Castellanos, Sandalwood, Sr.

MF Cade Cummings, Episcopal, So.

D Artur De Freitas, Mandarin, Sr.

F/MF/D Fisher Eaton, Providence, So.

MF Dillon Ebbecke, Nease, So.

MF Esteban Echeverri, Nease, Sr.

F Edson Espinoza, Menendez, Jr.

MF/F Paul Fedoruk, Providence, Sr.

MF Sebastian Felipe, Creekside, Sr.

D Ashton Fleming, Beachside, Jr.

MF Kaiden Garcia, Fleming Island, Sr.

MF Kai Gehring, Wolfson, Jr.

MF/D Joshua Gosselin, Fleming Island, Sr.

MF Keenan Jackson, Menendez, Sr.

MF Renis Joca, Atlantic Coast, Sr.

F Antonio Mahfuz Neto, Ponte Vedra, Sr.

F Khristian McHugh, St. Joseph, Sr.

D Nathan Mehler, Fleming Island, Jr.

D Brandon Morgalis, Nease, So.

MF Sammy Nerio, Mandarin, Jr.

F Trenton Noble, Keystone Heights, Jr.

MF Gabe Norquist, St. Joseph, Sr.

D/F Alex Osgathorpe, Providence, Sr.

MF Sebastian Rangel, Providence, Sr.

MF Jake Romano, Ponte Vedra, Sr.

D Jaden Reddan, Bartram Trail, Sr.

D Coooper Revenaugh, Bishop Kenny, Jr.

MF Samuel Romyanond, Fletcher, So.

MF Geovanny Sanchez, Sandalwood, Sr.

F/MF Michael Slade Lee, Fernandina Beach, Jr.

MF Jackson Smith, University Christian, Sr.

D Graham Steigler, Bolles, Sr.

F Emir Trto, Mandarin, Sr.

MF/F Brooks Viner, Fleming Island, Jr.

GK Christian Vira, Sandalwood, Sr.