BY OLIVIA LEWIS
The boys’ varsity soccer team played three games this week, winning one and losing two. So far, the boys’ record this season is 5-6-0. Their first game of the week was on Monday, where they played against the Flanagan Falcons, losing 1-0. On Wednesday, they faced Miramar, losing 2-0. For the final game of the week, the Cowboys played Hollywood Hills and won 2-1.
The Cowboys made their way to Flanagan High School for their first game of the week. The boys left Cooper City High School at 5:45 p.m., arriving at Flanagan around 6:15 p.m. They watched the girls’ game for about 10 minutes, but then began warming up behind the goal. They stretched, did keep-away drills and passed. When the girls’ game ended, the boys took the field and began taking shots on the goalies. At 7 p.m., the game started.
“We have a lot of talented and hardworking guys that are willing to give everything for the team,” senior Tuan Van said. “Even though we lost some close games, the important part is that we learn from those mistakes and fix them to get ready for districts.”
Both of the teams came out strong, fighting for the ball. Flanagan was able to gain possession and pass the ball around the Cowboys’ offense. Eventually, a Flanagan midfielder found a forward and passed him the ball. The forward took a shot on goal and scored it, making the score 1-0. For the rest of the game, Cooper City tried to come back and at least tie the score. They had a few opportunities at goal but were unable to score, resulting in the Falcons winning the game.
“We have a lot of talented and hardworking guys that are willing to give everything for the team,” senior Tuan Van said. “Even though we lost some close games, the important part is that we learn from those mistakes and fix them to get ready for districts.”
Although the Cowboys lost their game on Monday, the team was determined to win their next match. On Wednesday, December 12, the Cowboys faced off against the Miramar Patriots at 7 p.m. The boys arrived at the field at 5:30 p.m., trying to watch some of the girls’ game before they had to start warmups. The boys began warming up 45 minutes before their game started, completing their usual routine.
The game started promptly at 7 p.m. and both teams went at it. In the first half, the teams had an equal amount of possession of the ball. The Cowboys were able to move the ball down to the forwards, who served numerous balls in for the midfielders. The Patriots took a few shots on goal, but Cole Martin was able to stop all of them. The half ended with a score of 0-0.
The Patriots came out harder in the second half, scoring an early goal on the Cowboys. Cooper City tried to get another goal back but had to focus on the intense pressure coming from the Patriots’ offense. With a few minutes left in the game, a Miramar forward crossed the ball in and a midfielder scored it, making the score 2-0. The Cowboys tried to score goals, but just couldn’t finish it, losing their second game of the week.
With one game left, the Cowboys were even more intent on securing a win. On Thursday, December 13, the Cowboys faced off against the Hollywood Hills Spartans. Cooper City arrived at the school at 2:45 p.m. so they could make it in time for their 4 p.m. game.
The Cowboys made sure they were ready for the game, warming up extra hard and getting into the right mindsets. When the game started, the Cowboys came out flying, gaining early possession of the ball.
They moved the ball around the offense, dominating early in the game. However, a Spartan forward intercepted one of the passes and took it down toward the goal, shooting and scoring the first goal of the game. The Cowboys remained positive, trying to even the score out before the half ended.
“It felt really good to score my first goal of the season,” Abril said. “It felt even better than a normal goal because it [was] in the dying minutes of the game and it was the goal that broke the tie.”
The second half started with a score of 1-0, with the Spartans in the lead. The Cowboys continued to play hard, pushing the ball down the field. Senior Emre Taskin passed the ball to Sahar Golan. He dribbled the ball down and shot, making the score 1-1.
The Cowboys then received a corner kick, and defender Gio Abril was able to head the ball in off the pass, making the score 2-1. With a few minutes left in the game, the Cowboys were giving it their all. The referees blew the whistle and the Cowboys won the game.
“It felt really good to score my first goal of the season,” Abril said. “It felt even better than a normal goal because it [was] in the dying minutes of the game and it was the goal that broke the tie.”
The Cowboys look forward to their upcoming games and will continue to practice hard for districts. Their next game is on Monday, December 17 at home against McArthur High School at 7 p.m.
“I think the last two losses really made us think as a team if we want to go far, and it made us realize we need to be putting more work in,” Taskin said. “The win against Hills lifted our spirits a little bit, but we need to keep on working in order to make it to the playoffs and win the next three games.”
Photo by Kayla Florenco
