’Hounds ready for Rivera in first bi-district clash

The San Benito Greyhounds varsity soccer team is pictured before practice Wednesday. The team is scheduled to take on Brownsville Rivera in its first-ever playoff game on Saturday, March 30, in Brownsville. (Staff photos by Francisco E. Jimenez)

The San Benito Greyhounds varsity soccer team is pictured before practice Wednesday. The team is scheduled to take on Brownsville Rivera in its first-ever playoff game on Saturday, March 30, in Brownsville. (Staff photos by Francisco E. Jimenez)

By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

SB boys soccer pic2-3-31-13The San Benito Greyhound varsity soccer team will try to continue its historic run when it travels to Brownsville on Saturday, March 30, for a bi-district clash against the 32-5A second place Rivera Raiders.

While the matchup, which is set for 7:30 p.m., is attracting a large amount of hype with the historical significance of the Greyhounds’ first trip into the playoffs, third-year Head Coach Jesus Ochoa is doing his best to keep his team focused on the game at hand.

“I was telling the kids right now that we don’t want to talk about history, or about this being the first time in the playoffs,” Ochoa said. “We’re going to concentrate that we are in the playoffs, and we know that in the playoffs anything can happen. The best team can have a bad day and there can be an upset.”

“They’re favorites,” Ochoa continued. “We know they are favorites. We don’t have anything to lose. We have everything to gain.”

The Greyhounds, who finished in third place in 31-5A with an overall record of 19 wins, six losses and five ties, and 11-5 in district, already faced Rivera in January. The game ended in a 0-0 tie.

While Ochoa said that the team is still working on developing a game plan for Saturday, he stressed the need to draw attention away from senior forward Angel Estrada, who will likely be targeted by the Rivera defense after earning the 31-5A leading scorer crown.

“We’re going to attack through the middle,” Ochoa said. “We’ve got some good midfielders. I can put someone else in the attack. We can change formation. That’s what it is. We’re going to change the formation when we play over there. They’re going to adjust to it. In the first five minutes they’re going to see it and they’re going to have to adjust.”

Assistant Coach Jose Reyes shared Ochoa’s sentiments.

“We just tell them to play the game the way it was practiced and not to put pressure on themselves,” Reyes said. “I know it’s a lot of pressure, especially on a player like Angel who we rely a lot on. He scores almost 90 percent of our goals, so he does get a lot of pressure. What we do as coaches is tell the rest of the players to take that pressure off of him, for them to contribute as much as he does and as much as they can.”

“(Being a leading scorer) makes me a little nervous because everyone is going to want to cover me,” Estrada said during practice on Wednesday. “It also makes me a little anxious to play to see if I can score, to see what I can do. I’m going to be playing different, changing my style, passing more, and getting assists.”

When asked how he planned to look past the hype surrounding Saturday’s game, Estrada said that he’s using it as a way to keep him motivated.

“I find it good in a way,” Estrada said. “It’s kind of a motivation to keep me going because I want to make more history. I’m just using it as an advantage. I don’t see it as a downfall. I feel some pressure from the fans. That’s the only thing. I plan to prove them wrong by winning, trying to see if I can score, making history again.”

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2013/03/29/hounds-ready-for-rivera-in-first-bi-district-clash/

1 comment

  1. Man! I can feel it .There is got to be a future college and pro footbal field goal kicker on this squad. A kiker who can kick off to the left or right corner to the 1 or 2 yard line makeing the guy who takes it confused and the kick off team knowing exactly where the runner is comeing from. Or if need be on every kick off through the end zone. And not to say winning games on with only seconds on the clock. Now that is talent when you need it. A kiker on a football team is a player who makes things happen when you need it the most. Just like an offense that has one two tight ends. Moral of the story? Kikers and tight ends? THIER ALWAYS OPEN!

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