By Jim Irish
Photos by Dustyn Werner
As the soccer season progresses, Bastrop’s confidence is building.
That was evident in the Bears’ crosstown rivalry match against Cedar Creek at Erhard Stadium on Monday.
Bastrop (13-0-4 overall, 5-0-2 in District 24-5A) won 1-0 on a penalty kick by wing Aaron Arellano in the 68th minute.
"They've got a good team. ... We struggle with athletic teams."
-- Cedar Creek coach Tray Horton about Bastrop
Cedar Creek played its best but was no match for Bastrop’s ability to apply pressure on the defense.
"They’ve got a good team,” Cedar Creek coach Tray Horton said. "We don’t take good touches, We’re late. We struggle with athletic teams.”
The Bears had 10 shots on goal compared to Cedar Creek’s two. The Eagles (5-13-2, 4-5) had no shots on goal in the second half as Bastrop attacked almost constantly.
"Part of the key of our game is can we get in behind the backline?” said Bastrop coach Greg Vuagniaux, the head coach after two years as an assistant to Marc Cox. “Can we get inside with touches? In the first half, the end line slotted balls that we just couldn’t execute.”
Another indication of Bastrop’s dominance was its advantage in corner kicks, 7-0.
"We’ve worked tirelessly on our corner kicks,” Vuagniaux said. "The way we play is being so aggressive…, we’re going to get more corners.”
In an unusual setup, Bastrop placed three players around the corner kick.
"It’s going to draw attention to the ball,” Vuagniaux said. "We take a few guys out of the box. It’s a short corner by design.”
Bastrop’s unbeaten season has not gone unnoticed. According to MaxPreps, Bastrop is ranked No. 9 in the state in Class 5A.
With 11 goals in seven district games, Bastrop is not a prolific scoring squad.
But it possesses a solid senior backline and a four-year starter in goalkeeper Ezra Gaona.
"He’s one of our vocal leaders,” Greg said about Gaona.
The backline of Cade Mccoy, Damian Acosta, Gustavo Sanchez, and Jorge Rebeles have been "banged up,” according to Bastrop coach Greg. Sophomore Andy Carbajal, who was named one of the captains by his teammates, is currently starting at center back because of injuries.
Junior striker Cayden Justice leads Bastrop with eight goals and six assists.
Justice moved to striker from a wing position this season.
When Justice was knocked down by a Cedar Creek player in the box in the 68th minute, Bastrop received a penalty kick. Senior wing Aaron Arellano placed it to the right of Cedar Creek goalie Eduardo Macedo with his left foot for the winning goal.
Bastrop followed up its win over Bastrop with a 2-0 shutout over Navarro on at Erhard on Tuesday. Isaac Velasquez scored both goals with assists from Jacob Ellis and Justice.
"... Now, we have the opportunity to set the tone."
-- Bastrop coach Greg Vuagniaux about district this season
An earlier district match at Navarro concluded as a no contest because of a fight on the field.
Bastrop’s road match on Friday against the Liberal Arts & Science Academy (5-1-2 in district) may decide the district title.
Bastrop played last season in the district with Georgetown, East View, and Connally before the UIL realignment. An argument could be made for that district being stronger.
"It’s still very competitive,” Vuagniaux said about the new district. “Us being exposed to the district that we were in last year has helped us this year. Now, we have the opportunity to set the tone.”
Jim Irish is a freelance writer in Bastrop, Texas
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