Tiger teams claw their way up

Morgan City High School’s soccer teams have come a long way since their inception in the 2003-04 school year.

That season, the Tiger squads had zero wins.

This season, they have combined for 16 victories and are undefeated in District 6-4A play.

But the true measure of how far the programs have come takes place on Friday when they travel to Houma to face Vandebilt – the boys’ game begins at 4:30 p.m. and the girls’ at 6:15 p.m.

“I feel we’re equal with the other teams in the district, but Vandebilt is number one,” said sixth-year Lady Tiger coach Trevor Patterson. “They have great coaches, and a great program. We’ll see where we stand when we play them.”

“I know for a fact they are better than us,” said fifth-year Tiger head coach Jorge Hernandez, referring to the Terriers, “but we’re going to do what we can.”

Morgan City’s ascension is more surprising given that there is no year-round soccer programs in St. Mary Parish – recreational or Division I travel teams. There is no counterpart to the Houma-Terrebonne Soccer Association, in which all of Vandebilt’s players participate.

“The parish has AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization),” Patterson said. “It’s a non-organization that plays once a year for eight weeks beginning in September. It’s not a true club league like Houma has.”

There was no St. Mary Parish high school soccer team until parents of some of Patterson’s AYSO players went to the Morgan City High School principal and the school board and demanded the sport be included in 2003. MCHS is still the only school in the parish with a soccer team.

After the winless inaugural season, a group of girls wanted to play more and get better for the next year, according to Patterson. So they formed a travel team, joined HTSA and played winter and fall leagues for two years.

“The second year (2004-05), we won half of our games,” Patterson said. “By the third and fourth year, we made the playoffs because they were committed to it.”

The boys’ team has made the playoffs the past two seasons. However, the teams are a combined 0-4 in playoff action and have never advanced past the bi-district round.

The Lady Tigers (12-7-2, 2-0) are a young club with only two seniors. For some on the roster, this is their first season playing soccer, including goalkeeper Stephanie Watson.

“She’s stepped up tremendously. I feel very comfortable with her being in the goal going against Vandebilt,” Patterson said.

The strength of the team is its speed, positive attitude and defense, especially senior sweeper Katie Dehart, according to Patterson. Offensively, Lauren O’Brien and Marjorie Ozio lead the team in goals scored.

The Tigers (4-9, 2-0) are also very young and are led by junior Tanner Manuel in scoring. Hernandez said he would like to see the older players mentor their younger teammates.

“One of the improvements we’re starting to see is the boys pass the ball more, dribble less and take better shots at the net,” Hernandez said. “The program is coming up. Players in our area are getting better and better,”

Neither Patterson, a former English club player, nor Hernandez, a former Mexican club goalkeeper, believes in running up the score.

After getting comfortable leads in their respective games at Ellender last Friday, both coaches pulled their starters to give bench players some game time.

It is unlikely the squads will have that option against Vandebilt, the defending girls state champions in 4A and boys state runner up last season.

“I think the girls are pumped for this game,” Patterson said. “We played a couple of teams equivalent or better than Vandebilt. Yes, we lost them, but it wasn’t an onslaught like other teams that played against them.”

“The year before last (2006-07), we lost a lot of players,” he added. “So this year and next year is our time to do something.”

Morgan City’s Ashlyn Reaux (left) controls the dribble against Ellender’s Leah Lebouef. The Tigers and Lady Tigers play at District 6-4A foe Vandebilt on Friday. * Staff Photo by KEYON K. JEFF