By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
After a 17-1 regular season, and being crowned co-champions of the OK Conference Silver, the Lee High School Legends boys soccer team is preparing for another run at a District title next week at Hudsonville Unity Christian and — hopefully — another shot at a Unity Christian squad which knocked them out in the District finals last season.
But first things first. As his team practiced this week, Lee coach Jaime Ramirez talked to WKTV about his team having a week off after a great regular season, detailed his top players, and his belief that this year’s team has brought their own bit of pride to the school.
Oh, and ya. There is that thing about “the kids” wanting a rematch with Unity Christian.
“It is a fantastic season so far, the kids are playing so good,” Ramariez said. “They earned this (conference co-championship) because they are doing the job on the field. … There is a little (school) pride in this team this year.”
Ramirez gives some of the credit for the school pride to Lee Middle and High School’s new principal, Candy VanBuskirk, who in addition to her impressive educational background played and coached basketball at the collegiate level — “This year the new principal is doing good job announcing (game results) every morning when we play, how we did.”
There was a lot of good news announced, as far as the soccer team’s season was concerned.
The Legends outscored their regular season opponents 81-12, with their only loss being a 1-0 setback to conference co-champion Grandville Calvin Christian, which the Legends beat early in the season, 2-1.
While scoring has not been a problem for the Legends this season, Ramirez still thinks they can do better and he is using the team’s 10-day layoff to “adjust” some things.
The long layoff “is kind of bad because the kids don’t get to play,” he said. “But it is kind of good too because the kids get to rest and I am able to adjust some things, what we’ve been struggling on, like targeting or scoring goals. That is my main thing right now.”
Senior-led but but with plenty of young stars
The Legends are deep and talented with both offensive and defensive position players, according to their coach.
Senior co-captain and midfielder Raúl Montañez has 10 goals and six assists this season, junior co-captain and midfielder Gerardo Montañez has scored 10 goals and has eight assists, sophomore midfielder Edgar Vazquez leads the team in assists with 16 while adding five goals. But the team’s scoring leader is co-captain Michael Esqueda with 19 goals and five assists this season.
Senior forward Tristan Perez has played through injuries but still contributed nine goals and 10 assists.
On what has been a smothering defense, sophomore Alexandro Ruiz “improved so much and … (is a) very solid defender”, Ramirez said, while junior Gustavo Romero has also anchored the back line. Senior goalkeeper Jorge Montes blocked two penalty kicks, has 25 saves and six shutouts.
Two younger players who have contributed to the team’s success are junior Wili Diaz and Jacob Flores, who has played both on the field and in goal. “Definably he (Flores) will be my main goalkeeper next season, but he did an outstanding job as a defender,” Ramirez said.
District tournament outlook
Coach Ramirez said he and his team are not looking past their first game of the District 35 tournament, scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 15, at a time to be determined, when they will play the winner of an opening round contest between Grand Rapids Catholic and Grand Rapids West Catholic. But, should they win, they know which team they’d like to see in the District finals.
“We have to beat anybody that is going to be in our way, regardless of who it is,” Ramirez said. “If we come out and play a bad game, and they beat us up, then we don’t have anything to say. But if we play good, it doesn’t matter who we play, if we play good, we beat them.”
And as far as that rematch with Unity Christian — “The kids are looking for that rematch because they think they can do better this year than we did last year.”
