Devils dominate second half for win against Jesuit
The DHS J.V. men’s soccer team pulled off a 2-0 win against their rivals, Jesuit. The Devils excelled during the second half, where Kian Bagheri and Collin Holtz each scored a goal.
“Playing Jesuit is always special and it’s especially great when we win,” Holtz said.
The two goals were scored in quick succession at the top of the second half. Holtz took the first shot, the ball flying as if in slow motion right past the goalie. Just a couple minutes later, Bagheri got the ball and completed the second shot, the ball swinging past the goalie and nestling into the net.
But the game didn’t always run so smoothly for the Devils. The Devils got off to a bad start in the first half. The DHS men managed to stop Jesuit from scoring, though there was an incredibly near miss.
“The team came with certain preconceptions,” DHS coach Alex Park said. “Once they realized they were playing a really good team they adapted and stepped it up.”
And indeed, the second half demonstrated the teams’ ability to adapt not just on the offensive front with Holtz and Bagheri’s goals, but also from a defensive stand point. The defense pulled together and the Devils constantly fought to keep possession of the ball.
Alex Raya stood out on defense, always seeming to be wherever the ball was going.
Lee LeVerrier held the left side of the field, slinging the ball up to the forwards.
Holtz continued to take the corner kicks, curving the ball towards the awaiting heads of fellow Devils.
The Devils defense dominated with four players holding the back against only two Jesuits. This strong playing forced Jesuit to start clearing balls to the sidelines instead of passing them to their teammates.
The Devils controlled the ball much longer than the Jesuits in the second half, almost always keeping it on the Jesuit side of the field.
The referee handed out five yellow cards, three to DHS and two to Jesuit players (both of which were for language).
As the game ended, the bleating of the whistle was drowned out by the cheering of the small crowd as the Devils teammates rushed off the field to their water bottles.
This match was the last the two teams will face against each other in the normal season. By winning this match the Devils have proven that they can beat Jesuit again later in tournament play.
The DHS J.V. men’s soccer team plays Elk Grove in an away game on Oct. 26, and then comes home to face Franklin for the final game of their normal season on Oct. 28. Both games begin at 5 p.m.
