Ranger Stadium, February 18, 2011 – While the Jesuit Ranger varsity soccer team prepared for the final game of the first half of District 9-5A play, the locker room mood was light and joyful before the Rangers took on the Sunset Bison on Jesuit’s home turf.
The players were able to take this relaxed feeling on to the field, which, coupled with focus and determination, produced some great soccer. The home crowd energy pumped up the players for the game, and made playing the “beautiful game” all that much more beautiful.
The Rangers opened the first half with a quick pace and a strong effort, making it clear that this was a game they weren’t supposed to lose. Jesuit opened the scoring early when senior Will Diebold ‘11 flicked Ini Bryce’s ‘11 long throw into the path of the streaking Hansel Reyes ‘11, who lashed the ball into the left side of the net to put the Rangers up 1 – 0, a lead that wouldn’t be relinquished. It was Jesuit’s senior leaders who once again combined minutes later to extend the Rangers’ lead to 2 – 0 when Will Diebold made a run down the left side and swung in a cross that was met by Ini Bryce, who had shaken his Sunset defender. Ini couldn’t have missed as the cross was right on his forehead, and he placed the ball into the gaping right side of the net for his first goal of the night. Ini followed up his first goal with a sequel to give the Rangers a 3 – 0 lead in the first half. Bryce’s hard work and determination put him in the right spot to calmly slide a rebound off the Sunset goalie into the right corner of the net. Going into halftime with a 3 – 0 lead, the Rangers felt confident, but they knew that it was not time to fall asleep and let Sunset back into the game.
As play resumed in the second half, it was evident that Jesuit’s defense was not going to let that happen. The Ranger defenders, who were one of the big question marks heading into this 2011 season, have come together as a back line through practice and games and have performed very well when put to the test. The self-proclaimed “Rowdy Crowd,” featuring Gabe Arango ’12 and Ryan Dendinger ’12 stepped up and took control of the game from the back. A brief interview with the two provided a unique insight into the mind of Gabe Arango, a soccer star more famous for his off the field antics than those on the field. When asked how he played, Arango responded, “Ryan and I were getting real rowdy in the back, real rowdy. We made plays all game long and helped our team get a clutch victory.”
Fortunately, the rest of the all-underclassmen defense wasn’t forced to work that hard against Sunset’s lackluster offense, but, when they and goalkeeper Charles Holmes ‘11 were called into action, no mistakes were made and no goals were forfeited. While the back line held strong, the offense was still ticking away and adding tallies to the scoreboard. After a Sunset player committed a hand-ball in his own penalty box, Jesuit’s Hansel Reyes stepped up and ripped the penalty kick into the left side for his second goal of the match. A controlling 4 – 0 lead didn’t put a damper on the Ranger attack and the score was soon escalated to 5 – 0 when the ball fell to midfielder Owen Kalis ’12 in the 18-yard box. Kalis had no trouble stepping up and lacing the ball beyond the outstretched hands of the Sunset keeper for his second goal in two games. Among all the scoring and cheering from the great home fans who came to support Jesuit Varsity Soccer, none was louder than that for freshman forward Brandon Ozier ‘14, who was called up to his first appearance for the varsity squad. Ozier made his first game a good one with his speed and relentlessness when pursuing a loose ball. His hard work paid off when he chased down a loose ball and made an incisive run towards goal. Ozier was hacked down in the box, and Jesuit was awarded its second penalty kick of the game. This time, senior Hansel Reyes gave way to Ozier, who stepped up and ripped the ball into the right side of the net for the sixth goal of the game.
Ozier’s performance was just one of the bright spots of the night for Jesuit soccer’s future. Even before the season began, injuries plagued the Rangers, and they continued to pile up in the early games of the season. Halfway through the season, the injuries are finally starting to heal and everyone is now back and practicing with the team, except Kristian Garciamendez ‘11. The senior broke his leg in a club tournament over Christmas break and has been waiting eagerly to get back into things and help his team in their pursuit of another state championship. With their performance thus far, a state championship is not out of the question for this year’s Rangers soccer team. At 10 – 3 – 0 overall, and 6 – 1 – 0 in district play, the Rangers are atop the District 9 – 5A standings by one game with seven more to play. If the team continues to dominate the run of play and finish their opportunities on goal, Jesuit could very well finish the season on a 13 game winning streak, which would place them first in district and in position to get a favorable playoff draw. Once the playoffs begin, any run is possible, especially with the potential return of Garciamendez to bolster the team’s talent and leadership.
So, with all of this in mind, and their goals in sight, Jesuit soccer has successfully navigated the first half of their season and eagerly awaits their next game: a home game, Tuesday, February 22 against WT White. With this match, the Rangers will look to avenge a rather subpar performance against WT White on January 25 that led to their first and only loss in district play. All Jesuit soccer supporters are encouraged to come out and support their Rangers as they look to improve upon their encouraging start to their season. Go Rangers!
