Times are good for Wake Forest's da Luz family.
Austin da Luz, a senior on the men's soccer team, has become the program's career assists leader with 35. Tony da Luz, Austin's father and the women's soccer coach, signed a three-year contract extension over the summer, won his 200th career game this season and has a chance to take the Deacons to their best record ever.
"It's been a big season for both of us," the younger da Luz said. "We just both want to keep the season going as long as we can."
Austin da Luz and five other seniors will play their last regular-season home game Friday at Spry Stadium, against Duke at 7 p.m. A victory will give the Deacons the ACC's regular-season title.
"Yeah, I've thought about it and it's kind of surreal," da Luz said. "It's kind of gone by fast, but it's senior night and it's a big game, and now we've put ourselves into position to control our own destiny and that's what you want."
The Deacons (12-3-2) are having another impressive season, and da Luz has done his part helping generate scoring chances. He has a knack for making the extra pass, and he has a school-record 14 assists this season.
"He has one of the best touches with the ball that we've ever had," Coach Jay Vidovich said. "The ball is his friend, and he just sees the game so well. He's a great crosser of the ball and just serves it up to give others so many opportunities."
Da Luz has remained injury free so far, a change from recent seasons. He played in just 14 games last year, and in the national-championship season of 2007, he was banged up in midseason and missed several games.
Playing at the same school where his father coaches has brought da Luz additional pressure, but he said he wouldn't change a thing about his decision. He and his five fellow seniors have a four-record record of 73-10-9.
"My dad wanted me to look at other places to go to school just because of that pressure of having maybe people saying that he was the only reason that I was here," da Luz said. "But I've just tried to grow as a person on my own, and I've tried to be independent, and it's worked out well, and I've had a pretty good career…. I don't know if there were skeptics, but if there were I hope I've proved them wrong."
Vidovich said: "To have a local kid like Austin on the team, and he has such great parents who really know the soccer end of things -- it's been great for us. I would hope that Tony feels the same way."
Da Luz will graduate next month, and then look at his options in pro soccer. His departure, however, might not be the end of the da Luz line at Wake Forest. Younger brother Jonah, 12, has been hanging around both soccer programs the last few years.
"It's funny to watch him play because we have a lot of the same mannerisms, and he kind of moves the way I do, but he loves soccer, too, and as long as he's having fun with it, that's the main thing," da Luz said.
Creating passing lanes for teammates seems to come naturally for da Luz, and he's a primary threat on corner kicks.
"I guess it's just kind of my style where my vision is pretty good, and I can see things kind of develop," da Luz said. "I like getting the ball to other people, and with guys like Zack (Schilawski) and Corben (Bone), our styles just kind of click.
"I guess it comes naturally."
jdell@wsjournal.com
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