Lad Rebels win three to take fifth

By Moses Leos III.

A three-game win streak helped the Hays Lady Rebel soccer team claim fifth at the 2014 Rebel Cup. The hosts completed the weekend with a 3-1 mark.  

Hays began its Rebel Cup play against area powerhouse Pflugerville Connally. However, Hays struggled to combat the physicality and speed of the Lady Cougars, falling 2-0. 

Hays’ offense generated movement early on, finding forward Mila Bustos down the wings, leading to several scoring chances.  

But Connally locked down the midfield midway through the first half, countering the Hays attack. They struck at the 22:57 mark, when Emme Mele headed in a cross by Elli Patterson. 

Ball distribution was one issue that plagued the Lady Rebels. Senior center back Meagan Blanks said the team tried to play the ball in the air, but to no avail due to high winds. 

Competing with the physical Connally players also slowed progress. 

“We understand we are a smaller team. We had to match their mentality in (playing physical),” Blanks said. “We tried to. But we also had to make sure we don’t get frustrated – not with each other or with the other team.”

Despite the issues, Hays trailed only 1-0 at half. Struggles to bypass the Connally blockade continued in the second half.  

Head coach Brent Holcomb said the team works on transitioning from the middle to the scoring third. But the aggressive, fast play of Connally was a challenge. Hays was also often one touch off at times. 

“We tried hard to be more encouraging [to each other],” forward Victoria Ratliff said. “However, our touches were panicky; they were fast and quick.” 

Connally eventually put away the game late with a goal in the 14th minute of the second half. 

Holcomb was proud of the effort from the team, but credited the Cougars talent. 

“There’s a reason Connally is a top ten team in the region,” he said. “They’re extremely fast, and they don’t give you time with [the] ball. They were very physical across the field.” 

But the Lady Rebels bounced back, outscoring Akins and Copperas Cove 6-0 in 160 minutes of play. 

Holcomb said Connally prepared Hays for a faster pace of play. 

It was evident in their 4-0 win over Akins, where the team learned to stop giving opponents time to make plays. 

Helping matters was a heightened sense of communication, particularly in the second half. 

“With a team that’s as familiar with each other (as ours), they take communication for granted,” Holcomb said. “You can’t do that. You have to constantly talk. It’s a struggle for every high school coach. Things got better.” 

Those same principles carried over into a 2-0 win over Copperas Cove. 

Cove challenged Hays with fast play in the middle, forcing Hays to keep pace. 

Holcomb was pleased with his offense taking shape, saying fluid passing and a sense of comfort within the scheme played a role in the win. 

“Our game against Cove was the prettiest soccer we’ve played this year so far,” he said. “That’s the way it should be.”

The weekend culminated with Hays and Lehman meeting up in the fifth/sixth place match. 

However, with both teams meeting up in less than two weeks during district play, both Holcomb and Lehman head coach Nauri Garcia were hesitant to fully duke it out on Saturday. 

Instead, they had fun with it. Both coaches combined forces, creating a “Lays vs. Hehman” matchup. 

It was a hit for all involved. 

“I’ve never seen a soccer game where there were more smiles,” Holcomb said. “Both teams need little levity before getting down to serious business. We had a great time.”

The Lady Rebels now have a week to heal and fine tune for district. Holcomb feels opposition in tournament play will help immensely. 

“We’re extremely well prepared at this point. The tournaments we played had a desired effect,” he said. “We wanted very stiff competition. We got it. Now we know what it takes.”