Justin Ortiz
Hometown: Hickory, NC
Position: Winger
Jersey: #17
School/Club: Mint Hill FC
The Cherry on Top Became Something Much More.
Justin Ortiz's parents brought him to a country that was completely different from everything they had known. They made that leap for him, for the life they believed he could build here, before he was old enough to fully understand what they had done.
As he got older, he started to understand.
"As I got older I figured out what college soccer was and I thought it was an amazing opportunity I couldn't pass on. On top of that, being able to play for a summer team was the cherry on top."
The cherry on top. That is how Statesville FC started for Justin. What it has become is something else entirely.
The Player
Justin is a winger and he plays like one, which sounds obvious until you watch him and realize how many wide players do not actually do what the position demands. He brings speed. He brings creativity. He takes people on, creates chances, and makes the kind of plays that change the shape of a match.
"I bring a lot of speed and creativity," he said. "Especially being a winger, that's what I'm supposed to do."
There is confidence in that and also accountability. He knows what his job is and he holds himself to it.
The part of his game he is sharpening right now is finishing. He is getting himself into scoring positions. The movement is there, the runs are there, the ability to find space and receive the ball in dangerous areas is already developed. It is that final moment, the actual act of putting the ball in the net, that he is determined to own before this season is over.
"I do well enough to get myself into scoring chances. It's just that last bit, putting the ball in the back of the net."
That kind of precision in self-assessment is exactly how a player fixes something. He is not guessing about what needs work. He knows exactly what it is and he is going after it.
The Mindset
Justin handles bad games the same way most great competitors handle them: he tries to forget and move forward. He is honest that it is easier said than done, which makes the answer more real than the polished version would be. He does not pretend the reset is automatic. He just knows that the next training session is where the answer lives, not in the replay of what went wrong.
He carries a quote with him that has the feeling of something spoken over him rather than something he found on his own.
"You will succeed in whatever you choose to do, and light will shine on the road ahead of you."
For a young man whose parents made a life-changing decision on his behalf, whose entire path in this country was built on their belief in what was possible for him, a quote about light on the road ahead carries weight that goes beyond a motivational phrase. It sounds like a promise. It sounds like something someone who loves you says because they mean it.
What He Has Watched Happen Here
Justin has been here from the beginning of this season, and what he has witnessed has given him something to say that none of the other spotlights quite capture.
He has watched this club turn a corner.
"Since the start the fans have been doing a great job coming out and supporting all of us, but we weren't doing our job and winning and putting on for the community. I think now we've definitely turned that around, especially having a better chance at making playoffs."
That is a player who has been paying attention. He saw the gap between the support the community was giving and what the team was giving back. And he felt the responsibility of that. The fans showed up before the results did, and Justin noticed, and it mattered to him, and now the team is starting to give them something back.
That kind of awareness, the ability to feel what the relationship between a club and its community is supposed to look like and to hold yourself accountable to it, is not something you can coach. Justin brought that with him.
The Goal
Justin is stepping into Division I soccer next season and he is using every minute at Statesville FC to get ready.
"I want to use this amazing season at Statesville to prepare and better myself."
The cherry on top became a proving ground. And he knows it.
He also wanted to say one more thing before signing off, and it deserves to be quoted directly.
"I appreciate everyone that comes out and supports me and the rest of the squad. This season truly wouldn't have happened without y'all."
The Herd showed up for Justin Ortiz before he gave them a reason to. He has not forgotten that for a single second.
Neither should we.
Justin Ortiz | Winger | Statesville FC 2026
