Marble Falls boys soccer to compete in Governor’s Cup
The Marble Falls High School boys soccer team is poised to play in one of the most prestigious pre-district tournaments in the state.
The Mustangs, who are the No. 1 ranked team in their region, are traveling to play in the Governor’s Cub hosted by the Georgetown High School soccer programs Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 4-6.
“College scouts will be there to hopefully take a look at the kids,” Marble Falls head coach Rick Hoover said. “It’s one of the premier showcases for high school soccer.”
Marble Falls faces Lake Belton at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4, at East View High School, Pflugerville Hendrickson at 6:10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, at Georgetown High School’s second stadium, and Bastrop at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, at Birkelbach Stadium.
These types of events are important to athletes who want to play collegiate soccer, Hoover said, noting the changing landscape is limiting opportunities.
“It’s a showcase,” he said. “There is no team advancement. College soccer is getting tougher and tougher now that the (transfer) portal has evolved. It’s getting harder for high school seniors to get looked at. Small college kids are transferring to the bigger colleges.”
That’s why playing well is vitally important, he added.
High school programs as far as El Paso, Lubbock and the Metroplex and as close as the Austin area are traveling to play, and Hoover noted organizers are selective about which teams can play.
“You don’t get to see those teams here,” Hoover said. “This is our fourth year (to play in the tournament). It took a few years of winning.”
While the competition is fantastic, another reason to play is because Birkelbach Stadium is the site of the state tournament.
“That’s the dream,” the coach said. “They make the journey here for the season tournament.”
