Varsity Boys Soccer kicked off its 2024 pre-season with a three-game tournament at the Berry Center on Thursday, January 4th. The Spartans took on the Waller Bulldogs (1/4), the Cy Fair Bobcats (1/5) and the Harlingen South Eagles (1/6).

Thursday opponent: Waller High School Bulldogs

The Spartans had a hard time getting warm with a 43° game-time temperature at 8:00 am, and found themselves down 0-2 within the first 15 minutes of the game. But as Spartans do, we began to heat up and created several opportunities in the final minutes of the first half. With 5 minutes left in the first half, Everett Dwyer broke free outside the top of the box and would have had an open shot, but got caught up with a teammate and just couldn’t get the shot off.

A few minutes later, again, Dwyer broke free down the right sideline and blasted a shot that just went above the crossbar. Spartans went into the locker room down 0-2 but having changed the momentum.

Stratford and Waller exchanged possession for much of the second half, with the Spartans creating more opportunities on goal, but having a hard time converting. With 16:00 left, Jose Mena took a set piece kick from the right side of the field. The shot bounced off the far post, out past the reach of some waiting Spartans, so we were unable to follow up. About 8:00 minutes later, on a long set piece from Mena, Dwyer attempted a header that went left to Dawson Burgett for a header into the left side of the goal! Spartans were attempting a comeback at 1-2 and 8 minutes left. Just a minute later, goalie Pablo made a great save that would have definitively ended the game on a set piece shot by Waller had it been a goal.

Stratford created a few more opportunities but just couldn’t get another goal. Waller maintained the lead and handed the Spartans their first loss of the season, 1-2.

Friday opponent: Cy Fair Bobcats

Maybe the warmer weather or later start time, but the Spartans came out strong Friday against the Bobcats. Goalie Pablo had two nice saves on fast breaks early from the Bobcats. In the 14th minute, Jasper Hartman took a set piece from about 35 yards out to the left to find Dwyer open in the middle of the box for a beautiful header. Unfortunately, the side judge thought he was offsides so the score was not counted. At the 27th minute, Stratford earned an indirect kick inside the penalty box from a high kick. Hartman tapped it to Lorenzo Maule for a hard shot to the right bottom of the goal, but it was blocked away by a defender. Three minutes later, the Bobcats got on the board with a set piece to a header. Cy Fair 0-1. Just a minute later, Stratford got a set piece in Cy Fair territory just outside the box. Hartman took the kick, but his shot went just over the crossbar. With 6 minutes left in the half, Hanno Waguespack broke up the left side, passed in between two defenders, and took a shot on target, but the Bobcat keeper blocked it out. Stratford went into halftime down 0-1.

The second half brought several opportunities for our offense, from a set piece in the first minute of the half. Hartman took the shot, but put it just over the crossbar. Less than 10 minutes later, Oliver Burdick received a pass up from a tough defense and made a long pass to the left side, where Dwyer took the ball and broke free but was tripped up at the top of the box, and no foul was called by the officials. With 15 minutes remaining, Stratford earned another set piece. Hartman took the kick and found Hanno on the left side of the goal, but his touch shot went a bit too far off the right post out of bounds. Cy Fair made several long ball breaks, but the defense kept most away from even a shot, with some tough tackles by Tarkan Rendle and Johnny Lumpkin. With about 11 minutes to go, the Bobcats were able to get off a shot that was nicely saved by Jack Bermack.

For the second game in a row, Stratford created more opportunities for themselves and took more shots but were unable to find the back of the net and went down again, 0-1.

Saturday opponent: Harlingen South Eagles

With an early 8:00 am start on Saturday, Stratford certainly made up for its lack of goals in the first two games, there were a total of 10 goals scored by both teams in this one!

Starting at the first minute, Hanno Waguespack found Everett Dwyer free on the right side for a nice goal to the bottom left corner. Stratford up 1-0! That lead did not last long as Harlingen South snuck one in on us while the ball was kicked around for just too long in front of the goal to even up to 1-1.

Then, just a minute later, Stratford had an unfortunate handball in the box, resulting in a penalty kick for the Eagles. Harlingen up 1-2. Things settled in for awhile, with the Spartans putting together some better possessions. Then in the 20th minute, on a cross from Dwyer on the right side, Giovanni Garcia nailed one past the keeper, 2-2. In the 27th minute, Stratford mounted an attack. Dwyer took the ball up the right side, beating two defenders, then crossed the ball. No one was there to meet it, but Hanno chased the ball down and crossed back in where Oliver Burdick was waiting for a perfect header to the goalie’s right. Stratford up 3-2. The Spartans kept pressing and with 4 minutes to go in the half, an Eagle handball resulted in a PK. Dwyer smashed it high to the goalie’s right, way out of his reach for another Stratford goal, 4-2. The Spartan staunch defense continued to keep the ball away from the goal with few shots taken by Harlingen South. With just a minute left in the half, the Spartans again mounted an attack from deep in our own defense. Julio Garcia stole the ball from the Eagle forward and passed up to Ricky Estrada. Estrada two touched up to Dwyer on the right side, who passed his defender and shot on target, but it was blocked away. Really nice team play! The Spartans took that lead into halftime up 4-2.

The second half began with the Spartans continuing the attack. At the 43rd minute, on a long ball up from Ryan Gifford, Dwyer again broke free on the right side and this time managed to slip one right by the keeper to put the Spartans up 5-2, and to record a hat trick for the sophomore!

The Spartans continued to play stout defense, though we were having a tough time getting those attacks going again. However, starting around the 57th minute, the Eagles managed to mount some not-so-close attacks, but converted on low percentage shots from way outside the box and within 4 more minutes, we were back tied at 5-5. Luckily this is pre-season and the Spartans learned a tough lesson that you always have to challenge and put a body on those long-ball opportunities.

Although the Spartans started so strong, the opponent maintained and we ended up in a tie, 5-5.

All in all, the Stratford Varsity boys played well and learned some things that will surely come in handy when District play begins. The Spartans are showing some good signs of putting together great team play and strong defensive stands. Join us for another pre-season game this Tuesday, January 9 at home against Klein.