Cardinal Mooney soccer player reflects on scoring 100 goals

Alex Turner’s first goal as a Cardinal Mooney Cougar was unremarkable. It came in a 7-1 loss to Riverview during his freshman year.

No one knew it at the time, but that goal was the beginning of an incredible and historic soccer career. On Dec. 1, in a home game against rival DeSoto County, Turner netted his 100th goal. He is the first Cougar in history to accomplish the feat.

Turner will not soon forget the moment.

“The ball came out wide to (sophomore Brandon) Boynes,” Turner said. “He crossed it into the box. I made a run, finished with a header, top left corner.

“There was a big student crowd. It was so loud. I guess I have a lot of really good friends.”

Turner shook his head when asked what the accomplishment means to him.

“It means a whole lot,” he said. “I’m happy to be helping the team out, but I’ve got a good team around me. I believe in them, and they believe in me. I couldn’t do it without my teammates.”

Turner said he has been playing the game since he was 7 year old. It came naturally to him, he said, even though his first year was spent playing goalie. His coaches soon figured out that offense was more Turner’s speed.

Many elite athletes claim their mind goes blank while playing, and they don’t think about anything. They just rapidly read situations and react. Not Turner. He said his mind is constantly racing during games.

“Where’s the ball? What position do I need to be in? Am I going to get injured?”

Those are just some of the things racking Turner’s brain while he is racking up points.

His favorite goal-related moment came during his freshman year, also against DeSoto. Cardinal Mooney was down 2-0 with about eight minutes to go. Turner decided that losing was not an option, and put the team on his back. He quickly scored to get the Cougars on the board. Then, he scored again, and once more for good measure. A hat trick in less than eight minutes to give Turner’s team a 3-2 win against a bitter rival.

“It’s hard to describe the feeling after that game,” Turner said.

Turner is known for his shot prowess, but when asked, Turner instead identified his leadership skills as his biggest strength.

“My mom (Robin Turner) says, ‘A real leader will always show up when he needs to,’” Turner said. “I have an ability to pick players up, tell them ‘We gotta keep it going.’ I always try to motivate and help out in any way I can.”

Robin Turner said she taught Alex Turner and his brother, Cardinal Mooney junior Garrett Turner, from a young age to be respectful of everyone, and that how you treat yourself and others is how others will treat you in return. That advice seems to have been absorbed.

Cardinal Mooney (7-0-1 as of Dec. 15) is off to its best start as a team in recent memory. The Cougars won the Class 2A District 11 title last season, and look to be even stronger this year. The team lost just two seniors, and though last year’s defeat against Tampa Catholic in the regional final was rough, it bonded the returning players together in a way that Turner thinks will make all the difference now.

“Look out for us,” Turner said. “Our eyes are on the prize (of a state title), and we are going to do whatever it takes to get what we want.”

Turner is not a showboater, even on his 100th goal. He gets excited when he scores in big games, but said “I’m not gonna do ‘the worm’ in the corner or take off my shirt.”

There’s only one situation where Turner’s celebration might get extreme.

“If we get to the state finals and I score, the shirt might come off,” Turner said.