River Bluff’s Marcelo Malpartida named S.C. Gatorade Player of Year

Marcelo Malpartida proved this season he didn’t need to score goals to have an impact.

The River Bluff junior scored only one goal, but his value to the Gators goes far beyond. Malpartida was honored for those efforts as he was named the South Carolina Gatorade Boys Soccer Player of the Year on Tuesday.

“Marcelo’s one of the most gifted players I coached,” River Bluff coach Phil Savitz said. “He is dedicated, committed and wants to keep playing a long, long time. And his talents are being noticed.”

Malpartida is the 12^th Midlands player to win the award, and first since Cardinal Newman’s Koty Millard in 2013. He is the sixth Gatorade Player of the Year Savitz has coached, with the others coming at Irmo.

The 5-foot-7, 145-pounder led the Gators, who are ranked No. 8 nationally, with 17 assists. His lone goal of the season came Saturday in a 1-0 win over Wando in the third round of the Class 4A playoffs. River Bluff played Socastee on Tuesday for the Lower State championship.

“It was unfortunate I couldn’t score all season, but I always kept confident and kept shooting. I knew eventually it was going to come,” Malpartida said Saturday.

“He sets up so many players, and it is not about him scoring,” Savitz said. “He is a very humble player and a lot of blood, sweat and tears to making him the player he has become.”

Malpartida verbally committed to play at the College of Charleston, and has worked out with the Peruvian 20U national team. He was born in Peru and moved to the United States with his parents when he was three years old.

Away from soccer, Malpartida has a 3.68 GPA. He also helped distribute bottled water to victims of the flood in the Midlands and traveled to Peru to donate soccer gear collected from his high school and club soccer teams.

This story was originally published May 10, 2016 at 11:57 AM.