Kenny Cifuentes – Carthage Soccer’s Steady Engine

Rising from the wings

At first glance, Kenny Cifuentes does not fit the archetype of a high‑scoring striker. Even as a junior in 2023 he scored five goals and seven assists for Carthage, according to the 2024 Fall Preview on Ozarks Sports Zone. The Tigers had just graduated dynamic forwards Welle Welle and Silas Laytham, so head coach Jacob Osborne knew he needed more creativity from the midfield. Cifuentes, who played mostly on the wing as a junior, was therefore shifted into the center of the park. Osborne told Ozarks Sports Zone that the junior “will shift primarily to the midfield this fall,” and that his experience would help anchor a lineup that also included senior forward Reece Horton and several emerging defenders. The coach believed his team would share the scoring load rather than rely on one star, noting that the juniors possessed a high soccer IQ and the depth to keep up the standard established by the previous senior class.

Learning to orchestrate

The position switch unlocked a different side of Cifuentes’ game. In the 2025 Fall Preview, Osborne praised the now‑senior midfielder as a player who “plays a huge role in our possession game.” Though Cifuentes’ stat sheet did not pop like a typical attacking midfielder’s, his coach said he was “under the radar” because he controlled the flow of matches without flashy numbers. The Tigers’ identity depended on that subtle artistry: “we will possess the ball a lot – and that will frustrate a lot of teams… when we turn the ball over, we are very quick to apply pressure to try to get it back,” Osborne said. In the same preview he noted that senior Ecker Mejiar and Cifuentes anchored the defensive spine, hinting that the versatile midfielder might even slot deeper into a defensive midfield role because of his calm on the ball.

Big‑match contributions

Even before shifting to midfield, Cifuentes had shown a nose for big moments. In a 2023 SoMo Sports report on Carthage’s 8‑0 rout of Neosho, Laytham’s first‑half hat trick grabbed the headlines, but Cifuentes, Henry Hernandez and Welle Welle each scored in the opening 40 minutes as well. That 6‑0 halftime lead showcased the Tigers’ depth; Cifuentes converted one of the early chances before the starters were withdrawn. A year later, during a COC West regular‑season finale against Willard, he provided a crucial corner kick. The match report recounted that Cifuentes served the ball in from the corner and teammate Kenry Laytham rifled a shot; although the effort rolled out of bounds, it demonstrated his role as set‑piece specialist. The Tigers went on to score four second‑half goals and claim the conference championship.

Recognition and leadership

Cifuentes’ unselfish play did not go unnoticed. After the 2025 season he was named to the All‑COC West first team alongside teammates Bagner Barrios, Luis Cordova, Henry Laytham and Christ Monzon. Such honors were the culmination of years of patient development: as a sophomore he was one of several young forwards learning from high‑scoring seniors; by his senior year he was the midfield metronome that kept Carthage’s possession machine ticking. Coach Osborne admitted that he “doesn’t put up big numbers,” but the coach valued how smartly he moved the ball and how quickly he recovered possession after turnovers. Those traits fit perfectly with Carthage’s identity of valuing the ball and pressing aggressively.

A legacy beyond stats

Cifuentes’ story is a reminder that soccer excellence isn’t always measured in goals and assists. As a junior he contributed on the scoreboard, but as a senior he focused on orchestrating the game and mentoring younger teammates. Under his guidance, sophomores such as Oscar Lopez Gomez and Jackson Mendez were given bigger roles. In preseason, Osborne noted that his juniors possessed high soccer IQ and would push each other for playing time. Cifuentes embraced that competitive environment, helping maintain Carthage’s possession‑oriented culture while defending tenaciously.

As he graduated from Carthage High School in 2026, Kenny Cifuentes left a legacy defined not by gaudy scoring totals but by rhythm and resilience. He was the Tigers’ steady engine – a midfielder who controlled tempo, delivered decisive set pieces, and earned first‑team all‑conference recognition. In an era defined by star forwards, Carthage fans will remember the understated playmaker who made the entire team better.