Losing just one senior from last year’s squad, head coach Josh Gibbs is carefully optimistic about the 2009 season. “Last year we were a collection of talented players,” Gibbs said. “This year the players have come together to create a stronger team feeling.”
Returning sophomore forward Marcus Harris will try to cause much trouble for opponents this year. “He is one of the most electric players I have ever seen.,” Gibbs said. “He can change the game in a flash, and you seldom see a player that talented working as hard as Marcus does.”
In addition to the players returning from last year, Gibbs hopes that junior transfer Ricardo Aguilera from University of the Incarnate Word, junior transfer Tyler Keith from UT-Permian Basin and freshman Clayton Herzog will be able to instantly further increase the quality of the team.
“Aguilera received good training at University of the Incarnate Word; Keith is a proven college player who provides a different element up top, and his hard work will allow his teammates to score. Herzog has a solid soccer background from playing with the Dallas Solar Soccer Club and is used to big situations,” Gibbs said.
Freshman defender Henry Iraheta, defender/midfielder Roberto Campuzano and defender/forward Sean Maloney are also new additions.
On the sideline, the returning coaching staff is joined by Matt Walusimbi who spent the last four years as an assistant coach at Nolan Catholic High School.
Working with mostly the same squad that fell to UT Brownsville in the conference championship semi-final last year, Gibbs sees no need to change the team’s goal. “Our only motivation is to win a conference championship,” he said. “It is nationals or nothing.”
This year’s Rams soccer features nine seniors, and Gibbs is confident they will leave it all on the field their last year “They have wanted it for a long time, and they are good enough to achieve their goal [nationals],” he said. “For them it is do or die.”
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