Mendota soccer coach Nick Myers has known that Johan Cortez has been a big-game player since he first got to the school.

“I can remember our regional championship against Alleman when he was a freshman,” Myers said. “We were the favorite to win that regional, but we were losing 1-0 in the second half. I remember I kept telling our assistant we need to get the ball to Johan because he’ll make something happen.

“I think in any sport at any level, you have to have that guy you can count on and you know he’s going to perform. That’s how Johan is when it comes to soccer. You need those guys to have a championship team.”

Cortez thrived in the big moments, and he led the Trojans to unprecedented success as they finished as Class 1A runners-up this fall, a year after placing third.

Cortez had eight goals and four assists during the Trojans’ postseason run, including goals in both state games.

“I love having the pressure on me and having to perform my best in order to keep winning and making good plays and everything I love about the sport,” Cortez said. “I love the atmosphere of those games and knowing if you win it’s something big, but also you could lose at any time. It’s just part of the sport. I love that.”

Cortez didn’t just excel in the postseason. He finished with 40 goals and 28 assists.

He was named Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association All-State – the first Mendota player to earn the honor – and unanimous All-Three Rivers Conference.

For all he accomplished, Cortez is the 2025 NewsTribune Boys Soccer Player of the Year, claiming the honor for the second year in a row. He’s the fourth player to earn the award multiple times. It is the seventh consecutive season the award has been won by a Mendota player.

“I think it was definitely my best season so far,” Cortez said. “Every year I really use the opportunity to improve, and I think every year I’ve gotten better and better. Being my senior year, I knew I had to give it my all, with this group especially. It’s special to me to play with these guys. I tried my hardest every game and really enjoyed it.”

Cortez’s numbers show it was his best season as he upped his goal total by 12 from his junior season while matching his assist numbers.

“He had another fantastic year,” Myers said. “I wasn’t really sure if he could top last year that much, but he found a way. Johan grew every year, maturity-wise as a player and as a person, and his soccer IQ just kept getting better and better.”

He finishes his career at No. 2 on the school’s career scoring list with 110 goals, finishing three behind 2022 graduate Yahir Diaz, and he shattered the school record for career assists with 81.

But Cortez doesn’t want to be remembered for his individual accomplishments.

“I want to be remembered for how my four years went and how the teams I was part of were successful,” Cortez said. “Starting freshman year, we went to the sectional final, my sophomore year we won a regional, then obviously the last two years third place and second place in state. I want to be remembered for how I was able to help the team succeed. Not for the stats or records I hold, but for the teams and how special those teams were to Mendota. Hopefully, they can keep it going in the future.”

Cortez plans to continue his career in college, but doesn’t know where he’ll play yet.

“We’ve had a lot of good players in the past, and as a coach, you always say that person is going to be hard to replace, but Johan is going to be really hard to replace if not impossible to replace,” Myers said. “For four years, he’s been a catalyst of our attack. He’s a great kid. Everybody likes him. He doesn’t have an ego, which I think is rare for a player of his talent. He helps out other players. He’s not a ball hog. He shares the ball. I can’t say enough about Johan.”