Marble Falls boys soccer beats Davenport, ready for playoffs
CAPTION: The 2024 Marble Falls High School boys soccer team includes Jesse Jimenez (front row, left), Coda Langley, Andi Gomez, Eduardo Lopez, Joaquin Aguilar, Jayden Espino, Angel Mejia, Angel Serna, Isaac Larranaga, Drake Taylor; Rigo Lopez (second row, left), Yoel Gutierrez, Ivan Espino, Esteban Dominguez, Diego Mata, Brandon Guevara, Anderson Calderon, team managers Sidney Walker and Lillian Parker; Indalesio Bolanos (back row, left), Charles Brantley, Jett Marcum, Jordan Guzman, Julian Campos, Alexis Fregoso, Aiden Walker, Jose Segura, Kash Bussaraporn, Presiliano Suarez, Garrett Goggans and Seth Parker.
The Marble Falls High School boys soccer team beat San Antonio Davenport 3-1 March 22 in a warm-up match before starting the Class 4A playoffs.
That journey officially begins against Wimberley at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, at Mustang Stadium on the Marble Falls High School campus.
The Wolves (12-9, 6-4 District 26-4A co runners-up) struck first about a minute into the match.
The Mustangs (19-2-1, 10-0 District 25-4A champions) were called for a foul, which head coach Rick Hoover said was the right call. That set up Davenport for a penalty kick, which the Wolves converted.
Garrett Goggans scored a goal in the first half to tie the match at 1-1 before halftime.
Alexis Fregosa and Ivan Espino scored in the second half to ensure a Mustangs win.
Following the contest, Hoover told his players he thought facing the Wolves right before the beginning of the playoffs could do nothing but help. In Texas, the playoffs are a one-and-done system. So squads that win keep playing and those that don’t turn in their uniforms.
“I think after tonight it dawned on them,” he said, meaning that the season could end quickly if the Mustangs aren’t engaged in every aspect to play.
He noted the Mustangs hadn’t played a match since the 6-0 win against Burnet March 8. He noted the Wolves possessed the ball throughout the first half. Meanwhile his players’ timing was little off.
“Conditioning, I think we’re fine,” the coach said. “When you haven’t played in two weeks, you have to get the timing back down. It’s chemistry you lose because you haven’t played in two weeks. The first half was choppy. There were wide-open passes we missed.”
No matter how the Mustangs played offensively, their defense kept the Wolves out of the net for at least 79 minutes.
“In all the years I’ve been here, I’ve always built my team from the backend up,” Hoover said. “If the other team doesn’t score, you don’t lose. It shows the character of this team.”
He noted that while the Texans may be entering the playoffs as the No. 4 seed, they are District 26-4A co runners-up. He added that most district champions may face an easy opponent to begin the playoffs.
“That’s not the case here,” he said. “They’re the fourth seed because of tiebreakers. They’re very similar to what Davenport showed us. They possess the ball well, they move the ball well, they’re physical.”
Wimberley is led by senior Gage Weaver, the Texans’ version of Goggans.
“He can take over a game,” Hoover said. “Davenport lost to Wimberley 3-2 (March 5). He scored all three goals in the second half. He’s legitimate. He has natural speed, can read a play, can set up his teammates or a play. He’s the full package. The rest of his team looks for him as soon as they get the ball. He’s good enough to beat three people. His speed with the ball – I don’t know that I’ve seen anyone faster. You can’t teach that. That’s something the kids either have or don’t have. Wimberley is going to be ready for us.”
As he began walking off the turf at Mustang Stadium, Hoover served the purpose he wanted.
“As a team tonight, it was super good,” he said. “We had a great week of practice, and I was really happy. You can’t emulate the intensity of a game. That’s why tonight was so good. The character of this team is what I’ve been the most proud of. They want to win and they work. You have to work hard for wins.”
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