The Farmers started out their season with a pre-district run starting out 7-1 with their only loss coming to Arlington Heights 1-0. They entered the second part of their season coming on a three game winning streak heading into their first district game against Marcus. The game didn’t go well for them as they lost 8-0 to the Marauders. Since then, the team has won only one out of the five games they played.
“The toughest part is staying confident because we play in a tough district,” junior Sophie Maldonado said. “Sometimes we go into a game concerned”.
The Farmers only win in district was a 1-0 win against Braswell. The Farmers lost to Marcus, Flower Mound, Coppell Hebron and Guyer, who each ranked amongst the top five in the district. Coppell comes out on top in district with a 5-0 record while only allowing one goal.
“It’s been very different from last year,” junior Kailey Arroyo said. “But even in the worst circumstances, we are having fun. We just keep our heads up.”
The Farmers already have improved on last season’s record. Which can be accredited to a strong pre-district showing. Last year, the Farmers went 2-4-1 pre-district.
The Farmers have a -18 goal differential second behind only Braswell who has not scored a single goal. Defense is a huge question for the remainder of the season, especially with five out of their 10 opponents being ranked in the top 25 in the state.
“I believe that they can compete with these other teams,” head coach Richie Sanchez said. “We have a better record, but when you look at district opponents, we’re still struggling to reach that level. So, it was a good start. I’m feeling better about how much progress we made.”
But Sanchez believes that facing these tough district opponents is a blessing in disguise, giving them an opportunity to grow.
“It is tough,” Sanchez said. “But I like it, I like playing against really good teams. I know for a fact that these are the best teams in the state. It’s a challenge to see what I can do to close the gap between us and the best teams in the state. But still, I see it always as a challenge and an opportunity to try to play against the best.”
