by RAFAEL MARQUEZ
Hays High boys’ soccer game against the Bastrop Bears Friday night was full of nervous energy and aggressive play. But that didn’t do the Bears much good, as the Rebels overpowered Bastrop 5-1.
Both teams took lots of shots on goal, after full-out mid-field interaction. Hays usually came away with the ball from the mid-field fight, but Bastrop also took away a few to place shots on goal.
But it was the strategy – and Hays’ defense – that made the difference between a goal – or not. The Bastrop Bears were taking kicks 20 to 30 yards out, while the Hays Rebels preferred to set up a shot right in front of the Bastrop goal.
The keepers of both teams were kept very busy during the majority of the mostly scoreless first half of play.
The only score of the first half came when Hays forward Omar Rangel was fouled inside the box. Rangel scored in the resulting penalty kick making the score 1 to 0 with 14:42 left in the half.
Throughout the game the officials called the Hays players offsides. Despite those calls, the Rebels ended up being the biggest beneficiaries of the officiating, with Hays players drawing fouls and thus penalty kicks.
At the start of the second half, Hays wasted no time and was immediately on the attack. During a Hays offensive volley, a Bastrop player scored a self goal while trying to deflect the ball away. That, brought the score to Hays 2, Bastrop 0.
Christian Varela scored the next Hays goal on a penalty kick at the 33 minute mark, bringing the score to Hays 3, Bastrop 0.
Up to this point, both teams seemed to be equally matched in the open field, despite the lopsided score. The advantage fell to Hays because the Rebels were not called for fouls that could have resulted in penalty kicks for Bastrop.
The next Hays score would come off the foot of Kevin Mendoza who got an assist from both Rangel and Varela.
Rangel finished off his hat trick by scoring the last goal for Hays with a jumping bicycle kick at the 27-minute mark. The ball was centered to him, Rangel jumped and, while in midair, kicked the ball into the far corner of the goal.
At the end of the game, Rangel said he’d been wanting to score off of a bicycle kick ever since he was a freshman, adding that he was happy to finish off his high school career with that move. Rangel credited his friend Varela with helping him play well throughout the season and accomplish his kick.
The only point scored by Bastrop came from a penalty kick, bringing the score to Hays 5, Bastrop 1.
