CL Boys Soccer Bring Home Honors
James Alexander with a powerful kick as Canyon Lake unveiled one of the best Hawk Playoff Runs (photo by Karen Holmes)
Canyon Lake’s Boys Soccer team made new trails this year for the Hawks as they played into a battle with Progresso for a chance to be grouped in the Elite 8 this month.
You need to understand on how out of nowhere this team started and ended their season in McAllen, Texas.
The Hawks first game this season was a resounding loss with what would be just 1 of 2 times that CL would be able to lose a game by more than one goal.
Look at the years of Soccer for the Hawks and you will see a virtual desert of wins from the birth of the school until the last couple of years.
wins losses ties 2010 5 15 1 2011 4 15 0 2012 2 17 2 2013 0 12 3 2014 2 10 1 2015 4 13 1 2016 8 10 2 2017 16 7 2
Wow was impressed with CL’s Soccer Team!!
As you can see from the records above, the Hawks, started their ascension 4 years ago when a group of freshman boys would start to hone their skills each season as they doubled each season for wins.
Canyon Lake went from 2 to 4 to 8 to 16 wins and if they allowed this group of players to continue another season then you could expect a 32 win campaign.
All this is to say, this year’s awards have been presented and this Hawk Soccer team would need a wheel barrow to haul all the medals home after the voting.
1st Team All-State Grayson Rohrbacher Forward 2nd Team All-State Jordan Sczech Midfielder 1st Team All-District Grayson Rohrbacher Forward Jordan Sczech Midfielder 2nd Team All-District Brayden Damico Goalie Michael Carpenter Defender Matthew Bell Midfielder Honorable Mention All-District Lester Boehm Defender Mason Blackburn Midfielder Trenton Lorett Midfielder
“I am happy that we had so many receive recognition,” Head Soccer Coach Warren Graham started. “The fact that we have so many boys who were voted to All State and All District positions says a lot about the team as a whole.”
This year’s crew certainly attained some lofty goals as the year had several markers that had never been accomplished in past year’s.
No consecutive losses was one of those, ‘never happened before’, mantras this group was able to achieve.
This team was not held scoreless for the season and just for grins it was during that no win season that CL was able to score just 3 scores and had 11 consecutive contests with no goals.
Just a tidbit, that was also the year Canyon Lake had no home games because of their field being switched to turf.
Canyon Lake had two players make the top tier in recognition and the last time CL had a player that was voted on the first team in Texas for any sport, happened to be when one of the ReSporter’s Advertisers, Eric Nelson, who has the WOW business was voted on some All-State teams as a defensive back.
“Grayson (Rohrbacher) has worked hard over his 4 years at Canyon Lake and has been willing to do whatever I have asked of him,” Coach Graham heaped praise. “He has always put the team first and that was exemplified through his sacrificing a year of stats as a forward to solidify our defense last year.”
Longhorn Propane says Go Hawks
That was done as Michael Thorpe, who graduated last year, was the main offensive weapon for the Hawks. Last year the club won an unheard of 8 games.
“Jordan (Sczech) was able to overcome an ACL injury last year and put together a great season,” Coach Graham continued his admonishments of this players. “A lot of district coaches commented on how he was able to control possessions in the midfield.”
In sports, defense will usually get the least amount of ink since they do not score and as is most sports are heightened by offense over defense.
You will hear coaches across the board let you know that the defense is where championships are born.
Canyon Lakes Allowed goals games average
2017 48 25 1.92
2016 41 20 2.05
2015 48 18 2.67
2014 36 13 2.77
Notice on how well the defense improved these past 4 seasons. This takes into account that first game loss by a 9-1 score. The average without that game would had settled at an impressive, 1.54 goals allowed per game.
The ReSporter will be honest, when that first game was entered, past Hawk years had started to take hold of what this season would turn out to be in past season’s the losses would pile up for another campaign. That would not happen this time.
That would not the case and Coach Graham can also sing the praises for some of those defenders for a year to remember.
Jellystone Park says Way to Go Hawks
“Having 3 Sophomores make 2nd Team All District and one as honorable mention says a lot abut the future of this program,” Graham continued. “We will lose a lot this year in both talent and trying to fill the senior’s shoes.”
District 29-4A was well represented as this group of schools would be right up there as one of the toughest leagues in Texas.
“I think the All-State voting as a whole is a testament to the difficulty of our district,” Coach Graham closed. “Our district swept all of the 1st Team slots and had several others who were 2nd team, Honorable Mention, or All Region.”
The awards did not stop as Canyon Lake would also say congrats to Coach Warren Graham as he was voted Coach of the Year for Region IV.
We are Hawk Proud of Boy’s Soccer
The Hawk’s Soccer team had two of the top games in Canyon Lake history after winning in the second round over a ranked Salado team and then followed that victory with a impressive win against Gonzales.
In Canyon Lake’s last game with Progresso, the Hawks, were all the Red Ants would want and more after battling for in a, Pregresso win, 2-1. The Hawks were on a mission as they finished with their first winning season.
The seeds have been planted for this Hawk team that was the last crew of players to make the playoffs two years ago….but now this club has reached higher than any other team has ever reached in the playoffs.
Congratulations for a great season and take the rest of the year off.
Way to Go Hawks!!
