Hi Aztec Parents,
What a weekend, huh? It’s been a few days so the dust has settled but the heartache of losing Sunday’s game in such dramatic fashion in those last few seconds of OT… that was tough. We were only seconds away from a PK shootout to determine which team would advance to the championship game and remarkably, we had achieved this despite scoring only 1 goal the entire weekend. But it wasn't meant to be so we played just the one game on Sunday. Regardless of the outcome I thought we were the best team each game this past weekend, including Sunday’s overtime loss vs the OV Toros.
A small group of us met up at Amici’s after the game and it was great to see the boys laughing and having a good time after the loss. It’s sort of funny but I think the coaches and parents take these losses the hardest.
Saturday’s games were lopsided in all but the scores. In the first game Granite Bay didn’t get an actual shot on goal until… wait for it… almost there…. Nope… never saw one!! If you saw THE WHOLE GAME you wouldn’t have seen a shot on goal against the Aztecs!! Final score was 0-0 but that score fails to illustrate the disparity in skill and talent between the teams.
Collin only had to touch the ball if we pushed the ball back to him. Spencer playing in his first game of the season absolutely crushed every Granite Bay opportunity before they ever got close. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe how impactful Spencer’s play is for the team. And the crazy thing is, he’s one of a growing handful of players that make up the stingiest defense in the entire Bay Area for our D3 division.
Graham Kol was also making his first appearance of the season on Saturday. Graham is another incredibly talented player I’ve been fortunate to coach the past couple of seasons. And he gave us quite the scare just 20 minutes into our 1st game when he came off the field holding his arm as if he’d broken it. Thankfully, after a long trip to the ER, x-rays were negative. Just a sprain and 4-5 days of rest. As I told the team later, Graham is like Superman. Any other kid likely would be in a cast. This kid is a special talent which you’ll all see when he takes this field this upcoming weekend in San Ramon.
So with Graham going down, we’d need other players to step up. I’ll start with Chris Obsitnik. Last year was Chris’s first year with the Aztecs and he mostly played midfield. This season I’ve transitioned him to defense which for me is a big compliment to his growth as a player. Being a 2-way player is very important to me. I know scoring goals gets all the glory for most players but having grown up as a defensive player, I see things differently. If I put a player on defense and continue to play them there, it means they have earned my trust and have graduated to another level of development. Chris is officially there and his play through the first 2 weekends continue to show me that I can lean on him in more situations and in more positions than ever before. Seeing his development is what makes coaching so rewarding for me.
Another player who stepped up big this weekend was Judd Phillips who filled in for Graham at the stopper position in all 3 games. There’s something in common with all the Aztec boys who play Lacrosse. They are super competitive and won’t ever quit on a play. Judd has proven to be a very key player these past 2 weekends with his versatility and I expect by next weekend you’ll see Judd in an entirely new position. I don’t officially have a nickname for Judd but “the Plumber” seems to work because he seems to fix all the leaks and holes I find so far.
Our 2nd match on Saturday against Peninsula Force continued where we left off from the 1st game. Peninsula wouldn’t get a shot in the first half. In fact, it took a fluky play halfway through the 2nd half for Peninsula to get their first shot. Unfortunately for us, it was a breakaway after a wind-aided goalie punt bounced over our last defender leaving Collin in a 1v1 with our defense hot in pursuit. This goal gave Peninsula life where they had previously shown no fight. Though we had many scoring opportunities, the longer the game continued scoreless, the longer we allowed Peninsula to stick around and believe they could win. After this goal, the game got much tighter but the boys proved resilient once again as Gavin Andrade would collect a loose ball in front of the Peninsula goal to tie the game at 1-1 and that’s where it would end. Another game we controlled from start to finish but only a draw to show for it.
So instead of finishing 1st in our bracket with 2 wins and facing the 2nd seed on the other bracket for Sunday’s game, we finished Saturday as the 2nd seed and having to play 1st seed, OV Toros, in order to advance to the Championship Game. Based on what I saw Saturday in our games and knowing how the Toros had dominated their bracket, in my mind our Sunday match would be the true championship game between the top 2 teams in the u13 brackets.
And the game wouldn’t disappoint. Well, not until the final seconds but heartache would be a more apt description for how the game would end. Regardless the boys played strong throughout and the Toros proved to be a worthy opponent.
Though Collin didn’t get much to do during Saturday’s games, he played an important role in holding the Toros scoreless in regulation and ultimately until the last seconds of OT. In that final play it took a direct kick from outside of the box to ricochet off one of our players to get a goal scored against us. Heartbreaking but it happens and emphasizes why soccer players at the highest levels flop in order to draw a penalty. Anything can and does happen on a free kick.
From a 30,000 foot view, it’s definitely all about perspective. We walked away from this tournament empty handed but I don't need a medal to know we're already playing at a high level.
I also know this: the pendulum swings both ways. Case in point, I got 2 flat tires on Saturday. It had been well over 10 years since my last flat tire. Go figure… but perhaps it was a timely life reminder to give me the perspective I could benefit from going into our next weekend in San Ramon. The scoring will come because averages always even out over the long run.
Over the 3 games I saw continued improvement from a number of players. I'll key in on a few. Nolan Hannan had his best game of the tournament in our final game playing outside mid against the Toros. Our first weekend in Dublin, Nolan was in his comfort zone playing defense and doing a fantastic job but my goal for Nolan is to develop him on the offensive side this season so that he’s a 2-way threat I can plug in anywhere on the field. Sunday’s game was the first glimpse where I saw Nolan play with more confidence offensively and as a result impact the game like I know he can.
Dhilan Patel wasn’t able to play on Sunday but Saturday’s game against Peninsula saw him dominate in the middle of the field when he was paired with Gavin at center mid. I don’t think I’ve ever coached a kid with an engine like Dhilan. It’s a lot of fun to watch him outrun the competition; plus he's continually disruptive on defense and a facilitator on offense. Watch out for Dhilan!
I also want to share one play from this weekend by Carter White that sticks in my mind. It was a very simple play in the Sunday game but it’s the simple plays I love the most. I’ve mentioned previously about wanting the boys to be very efficient in how they play the game. How can players do this? Move to open space when you don’t have the ball. Play the way you are facing. Make the easy pass.
I saw Carter do all this one sequence starting with a pass from Mason Hill. Carter moved out wide to the line. When the pass came he already knew what he was going to do before he had received the pass. He then made a 1 touch pass to Gavin in the middle. It was so simple and easy. All too often I see players overdribble and fail to recognize an open teammate or attempt a pass with a really low completion percentage which leads to turnovers, something that adds to my gray hairs! So kudos to Carter. I see him starting to understand how I want him to play and it’s plays like this that make me smile.
Last note, I’d like to highlight Mason Hill who would end up receiving our Tournament Game Ball. I don’t think Mason Hill plays Lacrosse but I wouldn’t be surprised if he did because he has that innate toughness and single-mindedness to win every opportunity for a 50-50 ball. Probably more impressive though is how Mason has handled himself with composure when has the ball at his feet. There is a tendency for players at this level of play to get nervous and kick the ball away immediately but Mason has shown an immediate awareness to look up the field and make the appropriate pass all without getting rattled. Discipline like this is really challenging and usually takes time to learn, especially on the defensive end where a turnover so often leads to a scoring opportunity for the other team. Huge thank you to Mason for stepping up this past weekend and adding another element to an already incredible defense.
See you all this weekend as we look to build from the experiences of the past two weekends. Spencer told me at training last night that he feels this weekend is the one where we break thru and I believe him!
Thank you,
John
