With a state basketball title behind him, senior Bubu Palo takes a step on to the soccer field. Not only is he a good point guard but also one of the quickest and agile forwards in high school soccer. This is his final year at Ames High and his first year playing school soccer. “It is my last year at Ames High and a good opportunity to have some fun and play some soccer,” Palo said. Palo has been playing soccer since he was four. He currently plays for the Des Moines Menace’s U-18 team. He was part of the regional ODP (Olympic Development Program). And he has also won countless State Championships with his Des Moines club team. He also participated in a national soccer program where only the top 120 high school players were admitted. Having just finished the basketball season, he is in top athletic shape. “The many footwork drills from basketball and the quickness and agility for soccer go hand in hand,” Palo said. Depending on the season, Palo focuses his attention on either basketball or soccer. Even though he has had so many experiences and memories of soccer, basketball is still his favorite sport. Taking the forward position on the field, Palo hopes that this year the Ames High boys soccer team will play well and work hard. This being his last year he has high hopes to make it to the state competitions and to play the best he can. With the upcoming games, Bubu Palo working in conjunction with Coach Zmolek will have a long spring soccer season to go. And when he scores on the opposing team and leads us to victory, we will remember him not only as a good basketball player but as a great soccer player. And when the time comes for him to take a step off the soccer field we will remember him as a person who “worked hard and played his best.”