Billy Bolton (right) and the Hays High boys soccer team continued a near-flawless season by clinching the District 49-4A title with a week to play in the regular season. It marks the first district title in head coach Jason Burnett’s 12-year coaching career. The Rebs play at rival Lehman to close out the season Friday night. Hays will likely face off against Manor or Taylor in the first round of the playoffs March 25. (Photo by Cyndy Slovak-Barton)
by JASON GORDON
The Hays High boys soccer team has had the attitude all season long that they aren’t backing down against anybody.
The Rebels have mowed down opponent after opponent to the tune of an amazing 19-1-1 record and as a result of Friday’s hard-fought win at Bastrop, Hays can now call itself district champ.
With a week remaining in the season, the Rebels have clinched the District 49-4A crown.
“We were completely stoked,” said senior captain Jared Herselman. “It was such a big deal for us to clinch the title early.”
It was a first for Jason Burnett, who claimed his first district title in 12 years as a head coach.
“The majority of the guys on this team are three or four year lettermen,” Burnett said. “It’s been so fun to watch them go through the system. This year’s team has been such a great, coachable group. I think they realized what they were capable of after we got to the regional quarterfinals last year.”
As district champs, Hays will take on the fourth-place team from District 50-4A, likely Manor or Taylor, in the first round of the playoffs most likely on March 25 at a site to be determined.
A win there could pit the Rebels against a familiar playoff foe, Lake Travis, in the second round. Lake Travis knocked Hays out of the playoffs in 2009 before the Rebs turned the tables and beat the Cavs in 2010. Cedar Park is another possible second-round opponent.
“I don’t want to start thinking too far ahead, but I think we can do as well or better than last year’s team,” Herselman said. “Obviously everyone wants to make the state tournament. It’s the place to be April 14-16. Ultimately that’s our goal and I think we have a really good chance to get there.”
Against Bastrop, a team Hays led 3-0 at the half the first time the two squared off, the Rebels were in a dogfight all game long.
Hays took a 1-0 lead 25 minutes into the game when Omar Rangel flipped a pass over a defender to Christian Varela, who chipped it over the Bastrop goalkeeper from 10 yards out.
Hays keeper Ian Allison came out of the penalty box to try and knock a loose ball away from an oncoming Bastrop forward inside the final minute of the first half. He received a red card for what the referee called overly-aggressive play.
That meant Hays was not only playing a man down in the second half, but Burnett had to use Talon Homesley as goalkeeper, a position he hadn’t played since middle school.
Nonetheless, Hays was able to control the game in the second half and took a 2-0 lead on Herselman’s penalty pick.
Although the Bears closed to within 2-1 with 13 minutes to go, they didn’t seriously threaten the Hays goal again.
“Every game this team seems to surprise me,” Burnett said. “Every game someone different steps up and makes something happen. I was very proud of this win. I told the team on the bus ride up it was going to be a tough game. I knew we weren’t going to be cruising up 3-0 at halftime again, but they found a way to get the job done.”
Hays will close out the regular season with a game on the road against cross-town rival Lehman Friday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m.
