The boys soccer team played its final game of the regular season against Flower Mound at Jaguar Stadium on March 17. The Hawks won with a final score of 2-1 and finished the district season in second place.
“The first game [against Flower Mound] we were at home, and we were still in the middle of the district race, so that kind of changed our approach this game,” head coach Mathew Zimmerman said. “This game was more of a warm-up coming off spring break and trying to make sure that everyone got touches and back into playing mode for playoffs.”
The game started off with a goal in the 11th minute from forward Ezra Cryer, assisted by striker Rocco Viana. Cryer has been out for the previous four weeks with a sprained ankle, making this his first game back from the injury.
“For him to score a goal right away in the first half is a big confidence booster,” Zimmerman said. “The fact that he came back and he was feeling good and scored a goal is great. I was pretty pleased with the fact that we [all] came out relatively healthy.”
Players from both teams committed several fouls in the first half, and Zimmerman said the referee gave out fewer calls since they were already in the playoffs. The Jaguars scored at the end of the first half, making the score 1-1 at halftime.
“The game was a little harsh,” captain and defensive midfielder Mason Hatley said. “We got some hard fouls that should have been called yellows, but the referee [did] the best he [could.]”
Eight minutes after the whistle sounded to begin the second half, left winger Akram Awad scored from outside the box with an assist by midfielder Landen Krey, giving the Hawks a 2-1 lead.
“Our play was a little bit erratic,” Zimmerman said. “A lot of that was because of the fact that we were [subbing in] so many people. In comparison to the last time, it wasn’t quite as dominant, but I’m still happy to be able to get the results at the end.”
The game ended after Flower Mound was awarded a free kick in the 85th minute, which was blocked by goalkeeper Brett Laporte.
“[Our] first game against Flower Mound was definitely easier,” midfielder Michael Hernandez said. “They put up a fight, and [this] wasn’t our best game as a team, but we weren’t too worried about the score.”
The team ended off the district season with a 8-2-4 record and placed second. The team will play its first playoff game on March 20 against Plano West at Tommy Briggs Stadium.
“It’s a great game to end on,” Hatley said. “Ending the [regular] season on a win gives us some momentum going into playoffs. It’ll give the boys better headspace and more confidence to help get us more prepared for [Plano West].”
