The Lehman Lobos controlled every aspect of the match in a dominant 4-0 shutout victory over the Hays Rebels Friday.
District 25-6A boys soccer standings
Bowie 4-0-1
Lake Travis 3-0-2
Lehman 3-0-2
Westlake 2-2-1
Del Valle 3-3
Anderson 2-3
Austin 1-3-2
Hays 1-3-1
Akins 0-5-1
It was friends and family night for the Lobos and head coach Rene Medina addressed those important to his players and their lives and thanked them for what they do.
“Not a day goes by where I don’t sit back and realize how lucky I am,” Medina said. “It’s a great group of guys. I told them thank you for doing the job they’ve done.”
From the start, the Lobos controlled the match. Lehman launched several shots during the first five minutes and dominated time of possession. All their shots finally connected when senior Eric Guadarrama unleashed a 30-yard shot that found the top right corner of the net for the first goal of the match.
Other than a few solid Rebel possessions, the Lobos continued to dominate the half. Two Lobo shots caromed off the goalposts; Hays goalkeeper Ricardo Palacios saved several goals as well, keeping Lehman from distancing themselves. Despite Lehman getting eleven shots off in the half, Palacios and the Rebels kept the Lobos to the single goal in the first half. Lehman led 1-0 at intermission.
Lehman finally broke through in the first few minutes of the second half. After putting constant pressure on the Rebels during the first few minutes, Guadarrama struck again. Fellow senior Noah Marquez’s pass set up Guadarrama, who did not miss, sending a low laser into the net for his second goal.
The Lobos continued getting shots off as the game progressed, firing off three over the next ten minutes. Despite defending all Lobo drives, the Rebels were unable to launch any successful counterattacks. The two squads went back and forth in possession for most of the second half. It wasn’t until the final five minutes that the teams began to break through.
After having a shot deflected out of bounds, the Lobos lined up for a corner kick with just five minutes remaining. The kick traveled to the opposite side of the goal, where Lobo senior Luis Rangel was there to connect on a strong header that Palacios didn’t stop, resulting in the Lobos third goal of the match. Three minutes later, Rangel was fouled near the Rebel goal, resulting in a penalty kick for the Lobos. Senior Alex Mantilla’s shot went straight center and fooled the Hays goalkeeper who dove left. The goal locked down the dominant 4-0 victory for the Lobos.
Medina felt his team did everything they needed to and got the job done.
“It was a complete game,” Medina said. “We controlled it throughout. It was a good win.”
Lehman senior Eric Guadarrama recorded two goals and has been a solid player for his squad all season. Medina believes he has a special player in Guadarrama.
“He’s a special player,” Medina said. He has a heart for Lehman and he fights for it.”
The Lobos are now 8-2-3 as they prepare to hit the road to take on the Anderson Trojans next Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Hays Rebels are now 2-6-1 overall and host Lake Travis Friday at 7:45 p.m. at Shelton Stadium.
