By Moses Leos III.
Two goals from Hays High junior John Hinnekamp highlighted an offensive explosion for the Rebel boys soccer team Friday at home.
The high-tempo effort helped Hays cruise to a 4-1 victory over Bastrop, keeping the Rebels in the top tier of the district standings.
Hays’ offensive onslaught was early and often. Setting the tone were two near misses from Hinnekamp and junior Nick Theis in the first two minutes. A focused, intense stance on shot taking fueled Hays’ offensive attack.
Hays Rebel soccer player Ricky Stewart goes airborne to play the ball during the Rebels’ district contest against Bastrop on Friday.(Photo by Tracy Stirman) |
“We worked in practice on just shooting. In last week’s game, all of our shots were wide,” Hinnekamp said. “[Head coach Jason Burnett] said a shot on frame is better than a shot that’s wide. We just work on getting our shots on frame.”
Hays harried the Bear defense, with Hinnekamp, and seniors Oswaldo Hernanez and Xavier Garcia each taking shots on goal. Hays outshot Bastrop 15-2 in the first half, 30-11 for the match.
The Rebels took advantage of open gaps in the Bastrop defense. Burnett said he talked with his forwards to check to the midfielders, as Bastrop gave up to “30 yards to work with.”
Adept passing and maneuverability in the midfield led to many scoring chances.
“We talked with our midfielders to step in space, and not get over anxious,” Burnett said.
Despite the salvo, Hays was unable to score for most of the first half. Hinnekamp changed that, blasting home a five-yard shot at the 12:13 mark in the first half to take a 1-0 lead.
The Rebel offense struck three more times in the second half. Long goals from Thies and Hinnekamp pulled Hays ahead 3-0. Hinnekamp added an assist late in the half, attacking the right flank, and finding Christian Chavez in front of the net, increasing the lead to 4-0.
The key was defensive persistence, which stymied the Bastrop scoring threat all game long. Rarely did the Bears reach into the Rebel zone, as Hays thwarted nearly every attempt.
Burnett worked on several strategies, including dropping defenders back, telling his players to “play the ball more, instead of jumping after the ball.”
Bastrop’s lone goal of the match was scored with seven minutes left. By that time, Burnett had emptied the bench, playing many of his reserves.
“We did a good job on stopping (Bastrop),” Hinnekamp said. “We watched film on Bastrop; we knew what they were trying to do. We just shut them down.”
With a handful of games left in the season, Hays looks to claim its second district title in three years. Burnett was pleased with the team’s cohesive play of late, but understands the climb the Rebels face.
“You don’t want to peak just yet,” he said. “You want to peak midway through the second round. I think they are about to achieve that peak.”
