Lions hold onto third with two games left

By David Cich
Special to the
Post-Register

Last week, the Lions Boys soccer team lost to Alamo Heights and beat Medina Valley to hold onto third place in the district standings with two games remaining.
On March 6, the Lions challenged the Alamo Heights Mules on the road. The Mules scored quickly in the 1st minute on a goal off of a corner kick. They struck again on a goal in the 12th minute, followed by a goal off a rebound from a saved penalty kick in the 19th minute to take an early 3-0 lead over the Lions. Senior Julian Ramirez scored in the 22nd minute to close the gap to 3-1 at halftime. In the second half, the Mules scored again in the 13th minute to win 4-1 over the Lions.
On March 9, the Lions hosted the Medina Valley Panthers. The Panthers scored first on a goal in the 28th minute, but the Lions came back quickly with a goal on a penalty kick by senior Juan Ocampo in the 29th minute to tie the score. Ocampo scored again in the 32nd minute to give the Lions a 2-1 lead at the half. In the second half, senior Edder Guerrero scored in the 14th minute, and the Lions defense held the Panthers scoreless to earn a 3-1 victory.
The loss to Alamo Heights and the win over Medina Valley moved the Lions into a two-way tie for third place in the district with Dripping Springs, seven points behind first place Tivy and three points behind second place Marble Falls. The top four teams qualify for the state playoffs. The Lion’s district record is six wins, three losses and three draws, and the team’s record for the year is 10 wins, four losses, and five draws. Leading scorers are Ramirez (12 goals), and Guerrero (7 goals). In 19 games the Lions have outscored their opponents 43-22, for a goals against average of only 1.2 goals per game.
“Our next two games are crucial for us to stay in the top four and clinch a playoff spot,” said Head Coach David Ramos.
On March 6, Alamo Heights scored early in the 4th minute, and scored again in the 22nd minute to take a 2-0 halftime lead over the Lions JV. In the second half, the Mules scored in the 14th minute, but the Lions came back with a goal by freshman Alfredo Jaimes in the 31st minute to make the final score 3-1 in favor of the Mules. On March 9th, The JV scored first on a goal by freshman Jaime Ortiz in the 14th minute to lead the Panthers 1-0 at the half. In the second half, the Panthers came back with a goal in the 11th minute to tie the score, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw. The JV’s district record is two wins, four losses and five draws. The leading scorers for the JV are freshmen Jose Ruiz (3 goals), and Jaime Ortiz (3 goals). The JV defense has given up 13 goals in 11 games, for a goals against average of only 1.2 goals per game.
“The JV earned their fifth draw of the district season,” said JV Coach Dave Cich. “We will be going for wins in our last two games.”
After taking a week off for spring break, the Lions will play the second place Marble Falls Mustangs on the road on March 20, and will host the first place Tivy Antlers at home on March 23rd in the final game of the district season. These games will determine if the Lions will qualify for the state playoffs for the second straight year.  For the district season, JV games begin at 5:00 pm, and Varsity games begin at 6:45 pm. District 26-5A includes Lockhart, Alamo Heights, Boerne Champion, Dripping Springs, Kerrville Tivy, Marble Falls, Medina Valley and Seguin.