< Previous10 | The Daily News | Winter Sports Preview | October 2022 DISTRICT 18-5A SOCCER ANGLETONBALL HIGH FRIENDSWOOD LA PORTETEXAS CITYSANTA FEMANVEL BALL HIGH GIRLS VARSITY HEAD COACH: Houston Creighton (4th season) 2021-22 RECORD: 4-16-1 overall, 2-13-1 in district RETURNING LETTERMEN/STARTERS: 7 starters PLAYER TO WATCH: Elena Foulks, a versatile and fast player who can play in many different positions TEAM STRENGTH: “I see our greatest strength this year being that the girls are supporting each other, and there is buy-in all around,” head coach Houston Creighton said. FRIENDSWOOD BOYS VARSITY HEAD COACH: Stephen Peter (31st season) 2021-22 RECORD: 9-10-3, 8-8 in district RETURNING LETTERMEN/STARTERS: 9 lettermen/6 starters PLAYERS TO WATCH: John Allan started at center back last year and will do the same this year. Luke Sala started at attacking mid last year and is the team’s best player with the ball at his feet, head coach Stephen Peter said. TEAM STRENGTHS: “We are still trying to figure that out,” Peter said. “In the past, we have hung our hats on being stingy defensively.” THOMAS B. SHEA/For The Daily News, file photo Friendswood Mustangs’ forward Olivia Schmidt takes a shot on goal in the first half against the Santa Fe Indians on March 15, at Henry Winston Stadium in Friendswood. GIRLS VARSITY HEAD COACH: Laura Peter (23rd season) 2021-22 RECORD: 26-2, 16-0 in district (reached Region III-5A final) RETURNING LETTERMEN/STARTERS: 8 lettermen/6 starters PLAYER TO WATCH: Olivia Schmidt is the reigning defending two-time Galveston County girls soccer player of the year and Friendswood’s leading scorer back for her senior season. TEAM STRENGTHS: “Our greatest strength this year is a hard one to answer,” head coach Laura Peter said. “We have some holes to fill, so we have some things to figure out. Our defensive third (led by Brynn Farrar, Bre Friberg and Haley Rocha) may be our biggest strength, but we are expecting big things out of Olivia and our offense.” SANTA FE BOYS VARSITY HEAD COACH: Josh Kluka (third season) 2021-22 RECORD: 10-11-1, 7-8-1 in district RETURNING LETTERMEN/STARTERS: 11 lettermen/6 starters PLAYER TO WATCH: Senior Jairo Hernandez was a 22-5A all-district selection in 2021 and 2022. He was second in district points last year (28) with 12 goals and four assists. He ended up scoring 16 goals on the season. He ended his sophomore year with the second most goals in the district. He was voted newcomer of the year his freshman year. TEAM STRENGTHS: “It’s tough to know what our strength will be,” head coach Josh Kluka said. “For the first time since I’ve been at Santa Fe, we are relatively old. The majority of the varsity roster will be juniors and seniors. We scored 58 goals last year, 37 in district play (second-most in 22-5A) and we return most of our attacking players. I hope that we will continue to score goals this year.” STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News file photo Santa Fe’s Kiana Chastain goes up for a header during the first half of a regional quarterfinal matchup April 1 against Foster at Freedom Field in Iowa Colony. GIRLS VARSITY HEAD COACH: Daniel Graumann (fourth season) 2021-22 RECORD: 14-8-3, 12-2-2 in district (reached third round of playoffs) RETURNING LETTERMEN/STARTERS: 12 lettermen/8 starters PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior Kiana Chastain was the offensive player of the district last year as a junior, and sophomore Samantha Wright was a first team all-district goalkeeper as a freshman last year and it was her first year ever to play soccer. TEAM STRENGTHS: Hard work, discipline and refusal to quit on any play. TEXAS CITY BOYS VARSITY HEAD COACH: Jerson Carrasco-Martinez (fifth season) 2021-22 RECORD: 11-11-3, 8-7-1 in district (reached second round of playoffs) RETURNING LETTERMEN/STARTERS: 10 lettermen/5 starters PLAYERS TO WATCH: Trent Hook is a solid center back and very good defender, and Wyatt Hernandez is a fast winger with a very good work rate. GIRLS VARSITY HEAD COACH: Devin Blucher (fourth season) 2021-22 RECORD: 6-10-0 RETURNING LETTERMEN/STARTERS: 11 lettermen PLAYERS TO WATCH: “The players I would keep an eye on this season are our previous lead scorer Lilliana Matranga, returning center mid-fielder Reagan Musick and returning center defender Kylee Oberholtzer,” head coach Devin Blucher said. TEAM’S STRENGTHS: “This season we have a lot of players that are not only extremely knowledgeable and skillful in their position, but their competitiveness is at a level we haven’t seen before,” Blucher said. “Wyatt is the one that gets everyone on their toes because his work rate is impressive,” head coach Jerson Carrasco-Martinez said. TEAM STRENGTH: Unity. “If the team can stay united throughout the whole season, then we might get the reward that every team wants at the end of district.” JERSON CARRASCO-MARTINEZ, Texas City head coach LA MARQUE BOYS VARSITY HEAD COACH: Caleb Laufer (first season) 2021-22 RECORD: N/A RETURNING LETTERMEN/STARTERS: 15 lettermen/7 starters KEY PLAYERS: Senior Juan Pablo Rodriquez is the returning shots on goal and assists leader from last year. Senior Cedrick Johnson was the team leader in goals last year. Sophomore Fernando Hernandez is one of the team’s top all-around players who can play both sides. TEAM STRENGTHS: The senior leadership and continued excitement of the return of the La Marque soccer program. IOWA COLONYBRAZOSPORTLA MARQUE WEST COLUMBIA SWEENYSTAFFORD DISTRICT 21-4A SOCCER NEEDVILLEOctober 2022 | Winter Sports Preview | The Daily News | 11• General and Pediatric Orthopedics • Sports Medicine • Foot and Ankle • Hand, Elbow and Shoulder • Joint Reconstruction • Spine Surgery Comprehensive Orthopedic Services: Our team begins with the most effective and least invasive solution, combining breakthrough clinical care with advanced technology and rehabilitative services to get you back in the game. To learn more about UTMB Sports Medicine, call (832) 505-2663 , visit our website at utmbhealth.com/sports-medicine or scan the QR code . knows Sports Medicine The University of Texas Medical Branch is in-network for most major insurance plans. When you’re injured, you want to recover and get off the sidelines as quickly as possible. That’s why UTMB Health offers same-day appointments Monday through Friday with our orthopedic specialists to treat sports injuries, including: • Tendon and ligament damage • Joint dislocations • Fractures • Strains and sprains Sports Medicine to get you back in the game SCAN TO LEARN MORE 12 | The Daily News | Winter Sports Preview | October 2022Next >