Miami Trace High School senior Nfanly Mara has made a major decision in his young life by announcing his immediate plans for after high school.
Mara recently signed a letter of intent to attend Notre Dame College, which is located in South Euclid, Ohio, near Cleveland.
Mara provided a definite spark to the Miami Trace boys soccer team this past season.
“Nfanly and his brother, Sekou, moved to our school district in July,” Miami Trace head soccer coach Josh Thoroman said. “Right off the bat, practice started (Aug. 2). We knew that these two would be a huge component of our season.
“They are both phenomenal players,” Thoroman said. “I talked to Nfanly a lot about their soccer background and his goals. One of his goals was to obtain a college scholarship and continue playing.
“That was definitely one of the goals of our season, to assist him with that goal,” Thoroman said. “Last season we were 3-13-1. This year we finished 7-11-1. We more than doubled our win total from a year ago.
“A disappointing piece of this season was that we lost five games by one goal,” Thoroman said. “Last year, however, we were shut out 14 times. That is something that only happened twice this season. Our offensive production went from averaging less than one goal a game in 2020 to averaging about three goals per game in 2021.
“Nfanly was our leading scorer this season with 14 goals,” Thoroman said. “He also had six assists. He was a huge centerpiece of our offense.
“Nfanly earned First Team, All-FAC honors,” Thoroman said. “Only 13 players from the five schools (that have boys soccer) were picked for that.
“He was First Team, All-District,” Thoroman said. “He was our co-Offensive Player of the Year. For the one season that we had him, he accomplished a great deal.”
“I’m looking at business and marketing,” Mara said, when asked about a potential course of study in college. “After college, I really want to focus more on starting my own business.”
Mara previously attended Northland High School in Columbus.
He’s enjoying his time at Miami Trace and has adjusted to life in a rural setting.
“It’s very good,” Mara said. “It was a big transition. I came here, adjusted to it quickly. It’s really quiet out here. I like quiet. Peace and quiet is good.
“It’s a good environment,” Mara said. “I like it and it’s safer, too.”
Mara is maintaining his relationships with his friends in Columbus, where he plays club soccer for Blast FC.
When asked about a favorite subject in high school, Mara replied, “It’s probably English with Mrs. (Andrea) Johnson. She’s a really nice lady. I like her.”
What about keys to success at the next level?
“Focusing, staying on track, definitely,” Mara said. “Sometimes a lot of obstacles come in your way. You can get drifted off. It’s happened to me in the past.
“Now I’m just ready to focus and keep moving forward,” Mara said. “One day, hopefully, I’ll make it (as a) pro (soccer player), after college.”
