Marble Falls girls soccer beats Killeen Chaparral

The Marble Falls High School girls soccer team crushed Killeen Chaparral 5-1 to begin the 2023-24 season Dec. 12.

The Lady Mustangs’ goals were scored by Suzena Perez, Haley France, Dulce Macias, Presley Kahl and Irie Wallace.

This year’s squad has 14 returners and 6 newcomers, including 4 freshmen and an athlete new to the sport.

Head coach Abigail Blunt believes the team’s biggest strength is depth.

“I like that we have the same intensity when we sub off the bench,” she said. “There’s not a dramatic drop. Everyone gets equal minutes.”

Blunt started her fourth year on the Marble Falls Independent School District staff and has spent a significant amount of time at Marble Falls Middle School.

“I know what I have,” she said. “I have a complete program from freshman to senior year. “

What she has are 19 players with game experience and knowledge of the sport, which she also counts as team strengths because soccer is different in basic rules from other sports.

“We have some speed,” she said. “We have no timeouts, it’s a big field, and there’s more running. A lot of it is reaction.”

And she wants to see her players anticipate better so they’re in position to make plays.

The Lady Mustangs have a new goalie this season in junior Mia Trejo, who is new to the sport. The coach said Trejo has traits that make her an ideal goalie. She can jump thanks to playing volleyball and basketball, has tremendous hand-to-eye coordination, and is unafraid to dive for the ball.

“Hand-to-eye coordination is essential,” Blunt said.

The Lady Mustangs finished as the District 25-4A runners-up a year ago and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Wimberley. As proud as the coaching staff is of those accomplishments, Blunt noted they were made by some athletes who have graduated.

The challenge is for this year’s team to create its own accomplishments.

“One of the things we emphasize is you have to earn it,” she said. “Our team has changed, our dynamic has changed. We’ve had two lopsided wins in our two scrimmages. Our offense is fast. They’ve been there and done that. The defense is doing its job.”