By AMANDA FLEMINGER
With the field surrounding him and fans watching, he strategizes how to make the goal and bypass his opponents.
However, as part of a new team, he must overcome the new faces and team members alongside the field with him by adjusting to how the other teammates play.
“[We] started off really slow because it’s a brand new team and our chemistry is just now building up,” senior captain Gabriel Rendon said. “I think we can start winning as long as our chemistry gets better because we aren’t a bad team.”
Playing against Dr. Phillips on Nov. 16, the boys lost 0-7 in what they agree was their hardest game of the season.
“We weren’t communicating enough and weren’t used to playing as a team with each other,” senior Andy Cruz said. “We underestimated Dr. Phillips.”
However, according to Rendon, they have improved greatly from last year.
“We’ve improved on effort and pride. We don’t give up this year [and] we’re always keeping our heads up,” Rendon said.
The team defeated Apopka Nov. 18, by out-matching them in speed and height. According to Rendon, Apopka played individually, while he and the other teammates played as a team, helping them win 5-2. Although they have lost more games than won, sophomore Connor Wood feels they will begin to win more with the new team chemistry.
“We have become more of a team [compared to last year when] it was more about individual players. We now work as a team and move the ball around,” Wood said.
Wood has high hopes as he feels the team can defeat Winter Park despite the Wildcats always being a state championship caliber team.
“[Compared to other teams], we get along better, and our benchers are really strong. We have all gotten along from the start,” junior Samuel Torres said.
Cruz said the team has four strategies to winning this season: communication, more practices, formation and drills. The team plans to play a 4-1, 4-1 formation where four defenders stand in front of the opposing team attacker followed by another four defenders and an another attacker, creating a four verse one formation. This benefits the team by focusing more on defending and less on attacking. Their goal is to play simple and not overdo anything, according to Torres.
In the game against Colonial on Dec. 3, the boys used this strategy to their advantage ending the game 4-2. According to Wood, they had good chemistry that night which helped them play as a team. However, after playing four games in one week, the team became tired, ending the game against Cypress Creek on Dec. 7, with a loss, 1-3.
“[We were] so exhausted from the games; I guess it got the best of us,” Wood said.
However, despite the losses amongst the team, the boys try to overcome them, according to Wood.
“We try to forget it, move on and do better the next game,” Wood said.