By Moses Leos III.
It was a learning experience for the Hays High Rebels as they hosted the 2014 Rebel Cup, Jan. 9-11.
Hays finished 1-2 over the weekend, but in the process, helped their head coach attain a milestone.
Hays began their tournament with a 2-0 loss to Austin Reagan on Thursday. It was close early on, as both teams were scoreless through the first 40 minutes.
Hays worked to match up with a speedy Reagan team. In particular, the Rebels tried to halt the Raider forwards, led by Roberto Aviles.
Hays’ Nick Thies (19) attempts to go around a Reagan player during the first match of the 2014 Rebel Cup. (Photo by Moses Leos III) |
Reagan earned several opportunities on goal in the first half, but the Rebels were able to collapse in the defensive third, clogging passing lanes.
“We mostly play zone, we don’t play (man-to-man),” Hays’ Nick Perry said. “When their forwards made runs, we let them go where they wanted to, and we’d be where they were.”
While the Rebel defense kept Reagan out of the net, the offense tried to bypass the Raider midfield. Perry said the team attempted to “spread the field,” as much as they could.
Hays’ Chase Lindsey said the team made attempts to move the ball around the pitch, trying to find forward Xavier Garcia on the wing.
However, it was tough sledding, as the Rebels were stymied by the Raiders’ speed and quickness.
In addition, head coach Jason Burnett felt the team was pressing at the start.
“We were trying to force it too much and we tried too hard,” Burnett said. “We suffered from a ‘butterflies in stomach’ type of syndrome.”
In the second half, Reagan earned scoring chances, due in part to winning 50-50 balls, according to Burnett. It culminated with a goal from Aviles with 30 minutes remaining, putting Reagan ahead.
Hays worked to fight back, gaining confidence through a more aggressive style of play.
“Once we got a few shots going, it got the team up,” Lindsey said.
But Reagan’s speed and prowess proved too much, as they notched one last goal with seven minutes left in the game.
Game two for the Rebels was against Leander, with Hays notching a 2-0 win over the Lions. The win also marked the 200th victory in Burnett’s varsity coaching career.
Burnett said the players were more relaxed, playing efficiently without the first game jitters.
He said the team held more control and worked the ball around the field well. John Hinnekamp scored the first goal midway through the first half, with Perry scoring in the second.
In what would become the final game of the tournament, Hays fell to Elgin 3-1.
Fatigue played a role in the Rebels’ demise, as Burnett had to field a second team with his junior varsity players.
“Talking at halftime in that one they were really digging deep but just not much in the tank,” Burnett said in an emailed response. “Having to dispense our subs out to the [junior varsity] to make another team took a toll on us but this is good mental training for the boys to work hard through adversity.”
But the organization of Elgin also provided a challenge, as Burnett said the Rebels were unable to attain many scoring chances in the game.
Elgin took a 2-0 lead before Hinnekamp scored off a cross in the second half. However, Elgin’s prowess proved too much, as they put the game away late.
Overall, Burnett was proud of his team’s performance, knowing it will help as the season moves along.
“All these games help them to figure out how the systems fit. [It] gives them a chance to try those strategies out on an actual team so that we can continue to fine tune the system and the players,” he said. “This was good for them, we showed a lot of growth both physically and mentally as a team.”
He was also thrilled to reach the milestone mark.
“[It was] great,” Burnett said. “I set that goal when I began coaching and told myself get to that and no regrets.”
