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West Mesquite boys soccer team off to strong start
By DEVIN HASSON, dhasson@acnpapers.com
The West Mesquite boys soccer team has undergone a transformation in recent years.
The Wranglers, once district doormats, have become a perennial playoff team in recent years.
West Mesquite is serving early notice that the recent trend is not coming to an end anytime soon.
West Mesquite outscored its opponents by a combined score of 13-4 and recorded three shutouts en route to the title.
"It was a good start to the season," West Mesquite head coach Alex Figert said. "Obviously it is still very early, but it definitely gives us something to build on."
The Wranglers bring a good mix of veteran leadership and up-and-coming talent to the field.
West Mesquite is led by one of the top players in the area in Isai Velasquez, the reigning 23-4A most valuable player.
Velasquez flashed that MVP form last weekend, scoring 10 goals during the tournament.
With Velasquez drawing much of the defense's attention, it opens the field up for other playmakers, including Daniel Gutierrez, Emmanuel Hernandez and Omar Loera. The Wranglers will also be more dangerous when senior Ever Parada returns from an injury.
While West Mesquite does have a potent offense, it is not a one-dimensional team.
Jose Valadez, who rotated at goalkeeper last season, takes over the full-time starting role this year.
Miguel Garza, Kevin Iraheta, Johany Rios, Juan Cruz and Gerardo Aranda are part of a formidable group of defenders.
"It has taken three years to build to this point but I think now we are at a point where everybody understands we have high expectations," Figert said. "And it isn't just us, it is other teams that expect us to be a good team, so that adds some pressure, but I think we can use that to our advantage."
West Mesquite remained undefeated on the season on Tuesday with a 4-1 win over Rockwall-Heath.
It is part of a busy month for the Wranglers, who are scheduled to compete in three tournaments, including the Wrangler Classic later this week.
And while West Mesquite is enjoying the early success, they also understand this is only laying the foundation for what they hope to accomplish once 23-4A play begins in February.
"I think the key is that we want to be playing at our best at the beginning of district and then build from there," Figert said. "We have high expectations and every time we go out there we expect to be a better team than the one we were before."
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