Senior Spotlight: Emilio Elvir and Tomas Vega, Greer
Emilio Elvir (left) has 12 goals for Greer this season. Tomas Vega (right) has 11. (PHOTO | P.M.PRODUCTIONZ)
Emilio Elvir and Tomas Vega are seniors on the Greer High School boys soccer team. Elvir plays at the top of the Jackets’ formation as striker, while Vega facilitates from the midfield position.
Greer is known this season for its proficient and aggressive attack, tallying 53 goals in just 10 games. Elvir is second on the team with 12 goals, while Vega trails him in third with 11.
“As a coach, you love to have guys like Emilio and Tomas who are addicted to scoring goals,” said Greer soccer head coach Nick Roberson. “It makes my job a heck of a lot easier.”
With Greer off to a historic 8-2 start to the year — and showing no signs of slowing down — both Elvir and Vega have been key to the Jackets’ meteoric rise to soccer prominence in 2025. Vega was recently announced to have made the 2025 Clash of the Carolinas All-Star Game roster, becoming the first player in Greer boys soccer history to earn the honor.
Greer Sports Star caught up with both Elvir and Vega after Greer’s 8-1 win over Travelers Rest on Tuesday night.
(PHOTO | P.M.PRODUCTIONZ)
EMILIO ELVIR, STRIKER
Greer Sports Star (GSS): Emilio, you’ve been racking up goals at a crazy rate this year. A couple of weeks ago, you had back-to-back hat tricks. Do you feel like you’ve truly made a name for yourself in SC high school soccer with how you’ve stepped up this season?
Emilio Elvir (EE): I definitely do. I want to keep doing big things. Wherever I go, my friends, family, and other people will be like ‘Yo, you’re doing good,’ and talk about my performances. That just gives me the motivation to keep it up and to keep going.
GSS: Greer soccer is off to one of the best starts in program history. 8-2 overall, 7-0 in region play. What’s been the key to Greer’s success as a team this year?
EE: I think this year, everyone understands each other more and the way we all like to play. Throughout the years that I’ve been here, this is by far the best team that I’ve been a part of. We’re playing together as a team, and we’re all happy for one another when someone does something well.
GSS: When did you first fall in love with the beautiful game?
EE: Man, all the way back when I was a little kid, playing in the street, barefoot with my cousins. I come from Honduras. I came here when I was a kid. My cousins, they have always been supportive of me. They all wanted to see me get to where I'm at now. Soccer is a big thing, but most players don't get recognized that much, so I want to be, in a way, a step ahead and really be something in my family.
(PHOTO | P.M.PRODUCTIONZ)
GSS: Who is a player that you try to pattern your game after?
EE: I’ve always had the Cristiano Ronaldo mentality. I want to score, score, score. I just love scoring like he does. Real Madrid is my favorite club.
GSS: What are you going to miss the most about Greer?
EE: This school has made me feel so welcome. They embraced me with open arms. I’ll miss this environment. Mostly, I’ll miss my teammates and coaches. Without my coaches, none of this would be possible. They’ve opened so many doors for me.
(PHOTO | P.M.PRODUCTIONZ)
TOMAS VEGA, MIDFIELDER
GSS: Tomas, you were recently announced to have made the roster for the 2025 Clash of the Carolinas All-Star Game. When you heard the news, what sort of emotions did you feel?
Tomas Vega (TV): I was so honored. I knew I had been nominated, but I didn’t actually think I was going to get on the team. It was truly shocking. Coach Nick [Roberson] came to my work, and he said, ‘I just came to tell you that you made Clash.’ At first, I didn’t really know what he was talking about. When I figured it out, I just started jumping. I was so excited. It’s something I was aiming for, because last year, I had friends who played in it.
GSS: What has been the key to Greer Soccer’s success this year?
TV: Desire. We’re playing as a family. There’s no one letting individuality come before the team. Since tryouts, when we found out who made the team, we all had our sights set on one thing: winning a state championship. We’re going to work for it. We want to take it game by game, but we have that ultimate goal of bringing home a state title.
GSS: What area of your game do you feel like you’ve improved the most throughout your four years playing for Greer?
TV: Leadership. This year, I feel like my teammates are seeing me as more of a leader. Not just leading by my words, either. I’m trying to be an example. It’s not just about talking to the players, but showing them.
GSS: Do you feel like this team is starting to put Greer soccer on the map a bit?
TV: Absolutely. In years past, I’ve played club soccer with players who play at bigger schools. They’re always talking about state and this and that. I usually stayed quiet because I’ve never played a playoff game. No one on this team has played in one. It makes me happy that this year, that’s finally going to change. We see every game that more and more fans are starting to come out to watch us play, and that gives us a lot of motivation.
GSS: What are you going to miss the most about Greer?
TV: The excitement and pressure of it all. Making sure the boys are doing things right at practice and that we are all ready to go compete in each game. I think that’s what I’ll miss most.