Coaches pleased with players’ focus during Spring Break
MARBLE FALLS — During a week filled with possible distractions, the Marble Falls High School boys soccer team kept its eyes on the prize.
That prize is the playoffs.
Marble Falls (18-7-1, 9-5 in District 49-4A) will welcome Austin LBJ 5 p.m. Saturday, March 20, at Mustang Stadium, 2101 Mustang Drive.
Head coach Michael Nave said he was prepared for the players to be sidetracked because they were enjoying Spring Break. That wasn’t the case, he said.
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised,” he said. “We took a little bit of focus time on Tuesday. On Wednesday, we had a real good practice.”
During the talk, Nave said he told the players that every team in the playoffs has a 0-0 record.
He added that not every team gets to host a playoff game.
“A lot of kids who came before them never had the opportunity,” the coach said.
The Mustangs had a day off Monday, then practiced the rest of the week from 6-8 p.m.
Nave said the team did that so players with jobs could work.
Even those things have not deterred from workouts, indicating the Mustangs are ready to play, the coach said, especially since they are in the one-and-done portion of the season.
“We’re emphasizing it,” he said. “I want to make sure they look at it in the proper perspective. They’ve worked hard to be where they’re at.”
Coaches dedicated each practice to a different portion of attack. On Tuesday, Marble Falls worked on defense.
Nave said defensive shape was emphasized, meaning reminding the players of where to go depending on where the ball was on the field.
The next day was spent in the middle third of the field, and Thursday was devoted to the final third — where scoring was emphasized.
Today’s practice will be spent scrimmaging in a light workout.
“We went back to what we did Nov. 30,” the coach said. “We’ve gone back to basics.”
The Mustangs won their last regular-season game, 7-0, against Lampasas March 12.
They scored in the first 40 seconds of the contest and added two more goals five minutes into the game.
Junior forward Ruben Contreras scored three goals.
The win secured the fourth and final district playoff spot for Marble Falls. LBJ was the District 50-4A winner.
