SOC: 'Riders set for Midway in playoffs
a bigger role when Center takes on Waco Midway Tuesday in
Athens. (Photo by John Krueger)
Last season the Center Roughriders soccer team made the playoffs for the first time in the program's history, making a quick exit with a loss to Waco University. The 'Riders are hoping that the returners that played in that postseason contest will use that experience to the squad's benefit as CHS begins its second straight playoff trip in 2010.
The Roughriders will have their hands full again in the playoffs when they take their 6-7-2 mark and fourth-place finish in District 35-4A to Athens High School to take on Waco Hewit Midway at 6 p.m. Tuesday night. Midway was the runner-up in District 33-4A this season.
Other postseason games involving District 35-4A postseason squads includes league champion Jacksonville (13-8-1) battling Waco High (16-3) Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. at Corsicana; and second-place team Nacogdoches taking on Waco LaVega (15-7) Tuesday at Huntsville's Pritchett Field at 5:30 p.m. Palestine (14-6-6), which finished third in the 35-4A race, took on District 33-4A champion Waco University (19-1) Monday night. Waco High finished third in District 33-4A, while LaVega was the fourth-place team.
The 2010 season hasn't been a 'smooth ride' for the Roughriders, but the end result was what first-year Head Coach Richard Ruiz had hoped his team would achieve as they are making a return trip to the postseason.
"My players know they're sitting in a spot where they know they're going to have to compete at the top of their game because they're playing a team that was one of the best in [District 33-4A]," Ruiz said Monday. "I talked to the players and I want to get them psyched up and ready to play.
"I've got some kids that were here last year when this team made the playoffs, and they'll know what type of speed that they'll be up against. They know it's going to be tough, but our players need to go out and play their game."
Tuesday's playoff game will be played on artificial turf, which wasn't the first choice to either coach in the matchup, according to Ruiz, but because of scheduling and neutral sites available, it was the best situation.
"I think we should be okay [playing on turf]," Ruiz reasoned. "We have fast enough kids and one of our better performances this year was against Whitehouse earlier in the year. We didn't win the game, but it was our first game on artificial turf and I think our players learned a lot from that experience. The kids kept up with the speed in that game and got more accustomed to it as the game went on.
"We lost another game in 'turf' in Tatum, but it had nothing to do with the field."
Center will be looking for its third straight win in the playoff opener. But the game will be the first time his team has been in a contest in 11 days because of Spring Break last week.
"Their coach wanted to play on Monday, but a lot of my boys had gone to Mexico during Spring Break, so I wanted to make sure we had at least one practice [Monday] before the game. We worked out a few times last week, but everyone wasn't together.
"I also wanted to give them a few days off last week because we really looked drained physically in the final regular season game against Hudson (on April 12). The guys got a lot of rest and the practices have really been good as we prepared for this game. The guys have been going all out and really look sharp again."
Ruiz said the key to Tuesday's game is to control the tempo of the game early and make adjustments as they arise.
"We need to be able to work the midfield," Ruiz explained. "If we can adjust in the midfield and get the ball to our forwards I think we'll be okay.
"I want to adjust to them defensively early on and then go on the attack. But we have to be solid defensively and be able to adjust to their speed."
Ruiz said he feels that Waco Midway players will be keying on Roughriders' leading scorer Julio Martinez. He said it's up to the other players on his squad to get open and take advantage of coverages on them to work the offense.
"I think if they've scouted us at all, they'll be keying on Julio," the Center coach admitted. "He normally plays very well, along with Eduardo Chavez. What we have to do is put other players in a position to get good shots or to work the ball around so Julio and Eduardo can get open and still get good shots."
The winner of Tuesday's game will meet the survivor of Nacogdoches and Waco LaVega in a Sectional game that will be played Thursday, Friday or Saturday.