For the Lakewood Lady Leopards, progress is not simply reflected in the win column — it is being built through belief, effort, and a slow but steady cultural shift.
And for head coach Marco Perez Sr., that shift is finally starting to become visible.
After managing just one win a season ago — and enduring multiple seasons without a victory before that — the Lady Leopards are beginning to turn a corner. Already sitting on three wins this spring, Lakewood is showing signs of life in a program that is still very much in rebuild mode, but no longer stuck at the bottom.
“I believe right now we’re probably at about 25 to 30 percent of where we need to be,” Perez Sr. acknowledged. “But we’re definitely better than last year. Last year, we had one win, and before that, there were no wins. This year we’re already at three.”
That number, while modest on the surface, represents something much bigger internally.
“I’m hoping by the end of the season we’ll have six under our belt,” he continued. “Definitely looking at five, but I want that sixth one to really show that this rebuild is working — to prove to them that it can be done. Even having three now, they can see that it’s possible.”
For a team that once struggled to believe winning was attainable, that realization alone marks meaningful progress.
Building belief from the ground up
Even with that improvement, Perez Sr. did not shy away from the challenges that still exist — particularly when it comes to consistency and effort.
“The toughest part right now is getting that hustle out of them,” Perez Sr. admitted. “We know they have it. We see the extra speed, we see the extra run in them, but getting them to bring it every time; that’s been our biggest challenge.”
He elaborated on the difficulty of instilling that mentality across a developing roster.
“With the girls, it’s different,” he explained. “You can show them, you can tell them, but getting that consistent effort every time, that’s something we’re still trying to figure out.”
That learning curve has been evident throughout the season, where flashes of strong play have been followed by moments of inconsistency. Still, those flashes are becoming more frequent, and more encouraging.
Leaders beginning to emerge
As the Leopards continue to grow, several players have started to separate themselves as tone-setters — not just through performance, but through effort and energy.
“Kaitlyn Martinez, she’s one of our leaders,” Perez Sr. pointed out. “She’s shown improvement and she’s trying to lead by example.”
As a goalkeeper, Sabrina Chavez has anchored the defensive effort while also providing a spark emotionally.
“Our goalie, Sabrina, she does her job,” Perez Sr. noted. “She’s under those posts, and she’s trying to pump the team up. She shows them what it takes to compete.”
Meanwhile, Joysa Cruz has begun to emerge as one of the more noticeable improvements on the roster.
“Joysa is stepping up more every game,” he added. “It’s coming along. It’s just a slower process than we would like, but it’s definitely coming.”
That gradual emergence of leadership is critical for a team trying to redefine itself.
Rivalries as a spark
With conference play heating up, Perez Sr. believes familiar opponents could help ignite another level of urgency within his squad.
“We talked about it last night,” he recalled. “They understand it’s a big rivalry, especially with Hobbton. That energy is there — you can feel it.”
He referenced earlier matchups as a blueprint for what the team is capable of when locked in.
“The first time we played them, it was pretty tight,” Perez Sr. said. “If we bring that same first half again, we can have a competitive game — maybe even surprise some people.”
Still, he made it clear that potential must translate into performance.
“It’s in their hands,” he emphasized. “The rush is there. The excitement is there. We just have to show up and bring it when the game starts.”
Raising the standard
Now past the halfway point of the season, expectations within the program are beginning to shift.
“I don’t want no less than six wins,” Perez Sr. stated firmly. “That’s the goal. Maybe five gets us close, but six shows that we didn’t just beat the weaker teams — it shows we competed with others too.”
That benchmark is about more than wins — it is about establishing credibility.
“Right now, it’s about putting everything together at the right time,” he added. “We’re capable of it. It’s just about making every piece connect when it needs to.”
Growth over guarantees
Despite those goals, Perez Sr. consistently returns to what he believes truly defines success for this group.
“We tell them from the beginning, we’re not promising wins,” he explained. “We’re not asking you to win every game. We’re asking you to give everything you’ve got — whether it’s one minute or five minutes on the field.”
And in that regard, the progress has been undeniable.
“KK (Kaelyn Bailey), she’s improved a lot from last year to now,” Perez Sr. shared. “You can see it in her game.”
Cruz’s transformation stands out just as much.
“Last year she was a little soft, a little shy,” he noted. “This year, she’s turned a new chapter. She’s going hard. Even after games, she’s talking about her passes, her plays, she feels it now. She believes in what she’s doing.”
Junior Lady Leopard Trinity Bell has also taken significant strides, showcasing the kind of development the staff has been working toward.
“She’s really leveled up,” Perez Sr. observed. “There are moments where we see her making moves, pulling the ball back, dribbling through defenders, and we’re just like, ‘Wow.’ She’s put her mind to it, and it shows.”
For Perez Sr., those individual steps forward represent the true foundation of the rebuild.
“That’s big for us,” he emphasized. “That’s what we look at as accomplishments — seeing these girls grow year after year and start to understand what they’re capable of.”
Looking ahead
Perez Sr. also pointed to a larger picture when discussing long-term success — one that extends beyond the current roster.
“If you look at teams like North Duplin, it starts in middle school,” he explained. “That’s what they’re feeding off of right now. If you want results two or three years from now, you’ve got to build it early.”
It is a model he hopes Lakewood can eventually mirror.
“Maybe we can do the same thing here,” he said. “That’s the goal moving forward. We just got to get kids interested earlier in that stage.”
For a program that once struggled to find wins, the Lady Leopards are now finding something far more valuable — confidence, identity, and direction.
The victories are beginning to come. The players are beginning to believe. And the culture is slowly shifting.
“We’re already seeing improvement,” Perez Sr. said. “And that’s what matters.”
Lakewood may still be in the early stages of its rebuild, but the pieces are starting to fall into place.
And if that progress continues, the Lady Leopards may not be rebuilding much longer — they may soon be competing.