EVAN HALE
evan.hale@taylor press.net
BRENHAM – The Taylor Ducks boys’ varsity soccer team, known to many as Los Patos, comes to an end in the second round of the playoffs in Brenham.
Los Patos fell to the El Campo Ricebirds 1-0 after a tightly contested game that included incredible defense from both teams.
From the start of the game, both teams’ offenses were sharp, as they were making great passes and moving the ball very well. This led to multiple scoring chances for both teams that were met with stonewall defense.
Many of the scoring opportunities were stopped before they could be completed with a goal with defenders being on their A game to ensure their team maintained an edge. Goaltending then became a factor in the game, as the offensive tries began to break through the first layer of defense.
This would leave the game at 0-0 heading into the break as the anxiety and excitement in the crowd grew. Coming out of the break, Los Patos put their fresh legs to work against the Ricebird defense trying to catch them sleeping and put a goal in the back of the net to get their team going.
Unfortunately, defense was the story of this game, as the Ricebirds survived the onslaught from Los Patos and prepared to deliver a counter punch. The Ricebirds were able to regain control of the ball and resume moving the ball at a high level.
Ricebirds junior Raymond Moreno would find some space to deliver a shot on the goal, and as the ball soared through the air the stadium was silent. The next sound was the snap of the net followed by the roar of the crowd as the Ricebirds had the lead.
Los Patos had possession of the ball for the rest of the game as they began their search for the game tying goal. The Ricebirds defense again was up to the task and kept the explosive Los Patos offense in check.
The final buzzer was not too far away and as the clock ticked down, Los Patos started to accept that their season was over. The handshake line took place shortly after the game and after Los Patos ran over to their fans and saluted them one last time and thanked them for their support all season long.
