WSOC: Lady Riders blast Tatum, 4-0
during Tuesday night's nondistrict contest for the Lady Riders at
home. Medrano scored three goals in Center's 4-0 win over Tatum.
(Photo by John Krueger)
CENTER -- The Center Lady Rider offensive scoring duo of sisters Maria and Rebeca Medrano was all the offense the team needed Tuesday night as CHS recorded its first victory of the 2011 season in a 4-0 blanking of Tatum here at a cold and damp Roughrider Stadium.
The win improved the Lady Riders to 1-3 on the year, also producing the team's first goals of the year after it went scoreless against three tough opponents - Athens, Carthage and Palestine - at the Palestine Tournament. The Lady Riders will now set their sights on a home match Friday against Mount Pleasant (6 p.m.), before taking on Marshall at Roughrider Stadium on Jan. 28.
The Lady Riders prided themselves on playing tough defense last season during an 8-11-1 campaign that ended with the team just missing the Class 4A State playoffs. Stingy 'D' is the goal again this season, according to Head Coach Jonathan Vick. CHS did not allow a shot on goal to the Lady Eagles Tuesday, while recording 24 on offense.
"The whole thing right now is putting ourselves in position to have opportunities to score and to continue to play good defense," Vick said after Tuesday's contest. "I've told the girls that we've got to be aggressive, both offensively and defensively. A lot of things will happen when we put pressure on the ball.
"Just like last season, we'll lead with our defense. We have got to continue to improve in that area because once we play teams like Nacogdoches and Jacksonville, they're not going to make many mistakes on offense."
Vick said the next two games against Mount Pleasant and Marshall will be further measuring sticks on how good his team has come as it prepares for District 35-4A play.
"To me, that's what nondistrict games are all about; getting better and preparing for those district teams," Vick reasoned. "If you go 0-for-nondistrict and you get better, then you've accomplished your goal of improving and getting ready for that first district game.
"Right now I'm still looking at different players in some different positions and several combinations to see what players work the best together on the field. You have to do that now because if you get to district play and you're still looking for the right combinations, you're a day late.
"I want us to have our lineup in order a week before district so we have everything in place and we're set for the tough district run. The way the district is set up this season, we play Hudson and Diboll in the first two district games, which I feel are very winnable games for us. I think it can get us off to a positive start and 'tell the tale' about the rest of the district race."
Center dominated the Lady Eagle defense, keeping the ball at Tatum's end of the field most of the night. The Lady Riders scored on their ninth shot of the night with 17:04 left in the first half when Maria Medrano stole a Tatum pass and attempted a high shot from 25 yards out. It went off the outstretched hands of the THS goalie and fell into the net.
Medrano, who scored the Lady Riders' first three goals of the game and finished with eight first-half shot and 11 for the game, added to the Center lead at the 24:36 mark of the first half when the junior once again stole a Tatum pass as the Lady Eagles were trying to control the ball near their own goal. Medrano's steal caught the Tatum goalie out of position and she flipped the ball toward the unattended net and the 20-yard shot easily rolled into the goal for a 2-0 CHS lead.
With just 7:38 remaining before the break, Medrano controlled the ball on the left side of the net and sliced a shot across to the right side of the goal. The ball just missed the outstretched hands of the Lady Eagle goalie and found the net, just inside the right post.
Center recorded only five shots in the second half, but the Lady Riders made the most of them. Freshman Rebeca Medrano took control of the loose ball that was bouncing in Tatum's end of the field and she dribbled and slammed the ball past the Tatum goalie from 10 yards with 12:10 remaining in the game.
"We had more opportunities to score tonight, but we just didn't finish; something we need to continue to work on," Vick said. "But for the young team that we have this season, I'll take it. I thought our effort tonight was pretty steady, we just need to 'clean up' a few things.
"Now we'll have a couple of tough opponents that will really test us. I hope we'll be ready for the challenge. One of the areas we're working through right now is injuries. But hopefully we can get some kids healthy before district."