MSOC: 'Riders ready for 're-start'
during recent season action. Center will open playoff action Tuesday
night at Athens against Waco High. (Photo by John Krueger)
The Center Roughriders weren't exactly on a roll heading into the playoffs, but CHS Head Coach Richard Ruiz hopes that the two weeks off since their last game will mean new momentum when they begin the playoffs this week.
It might even be called, a season re-start.
The Roughriders, who qualified for the Class 4A State soccer playoffs for the second consecutive year under Ruiz, will be in Athens on Tuesday night to face Waco High in Area playoff action. The game will kick off at 6 p.m. at Athens High School.
Center finished in fourth place in District 35-4A, posting a 3-6-1 league record. But they received a first-round bye in the playoffs, while Waco High, the runner-up in District 33-4A, had to play in the bi-district round.
Waco High blanked Lorena, 4-0, last week, in a game that Ruiz had a chance to see.
"I think we should match up pretty well against Waco High," Ruiz said. "We had some injuries at the end of the year, but these last couple of weeks have given us a chance to get over some of them and to work on some things so we'll be ready for the playoffs."
Center posted a 5-10-1 record during the 2011 regular season, but stumbled in its last three games heading into the postseason, falling to District 35-4A champion Jacksonville, 3-1, third-place Palestine, 3-0, and league runner-up Nacogdoches, 10-0.
Nacogdoches will be matched up against Waco Midway in the second round. The Dragons also received a first-round pass. Midway, the District 34-5A champion, blanked China Spring, 6-0, in the first round.
The winner of the Center-Waco High game will meet the survivor of the Midway-Nacogdoches game in Sectional play later this week.
Jacksonville, who received a bye, will play either Killeen or Waco La Vega.
Palestine, the third-place team from District 35-4A, received a bye and will take on District 33-4A champion Waco University in the Area round. Waco University blanked Waco Robinson, 13-0, in the first round last week.