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Rock Bridge riding strong defense into quarterfinal match
When second-year Carthage soccer coach Jacob Osborne looks at Columbia Rock Bridge, he sees big and fast players who play the game hard.
“They are a hard-working team that plays with a lot of fire and emotion,” Osborne said. “They have a very good defense and they attack with a lot of speed.”
The Tigers (24-4), coming off a convincing 3-0 shutout of Glendale in the sectional round of the Class 3 MSHSAA playoffs, face Rock Bridge at 3 p.m. Saturday in the quarterfinal at Rock Bridge High School.
“I am very proud with the way that our players played,” Osborne said of Carthage’s win over the Falcons after falling short for successive years in the sectional playoff. “They played with a lot of heart and they did a great job of playing their game. They showed a lot of growth since last season. They played tight and nervous in 2009, but this year they did a good job of treating it like a normal game.”
Rock Bridge, a 3-2 winner over Rolla in its sectional playoff, is a defensive savvy team, led by team captain Ryan Taylor. Taylor, a senior, has a pair of goals and four assists.
“The defense is the cornerstone of this team,” Columbia Rock Bridge soccer coach Kyle Austin told the Columbia Tribune.
Matt Kelly is Rock Bridge’s overwhelming scoring leader with 26 goals and nine assists. To put things in perspective, Ryan Schmidt, the team’s second leading scorer, has nine goals. With that said, it will be paramount for the Tigers, led this year by Ismael Serratos’ 33 goals, to continue to utilize their strong counterattack and match the Bruins’ feverish playing style.
“We’re going to have to stay very organized and match their intensity,” Osborne said. “We have to make sure that we are mentally prepared and that we keep our focus for the full 80-plus minutes.
“Since they have a lot of speed and size, we are going to have to play with speed. Our passing is going to have to be sharp and we just have to let the ball do the work and keep it moving.”
The winner of Saturday’s match moves on to play in the semifinal round of the MSHSAA Championships Friday, Nov. 19, at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton.
Rock Bridge riding strong defense into quarterfinal match
When second-year Carthage soccer coach Jacob Osborne looks at Columbia Rock Bridge, he sees big and fast players who play the game hard.
“They are a hard-working team that plays with a lot of fire and emotion,” Osborne said. “They have a very good defense and they attack with a lot of speed.”
The Tigers (24-4), coming off a convincing 3-0 shutout of Glendale in the sectional round of the Class 3 MSHSAA playoffs, face Rock Bridge at 3 p.m. Saturday in the quarterfinal at Rock Bridge High School.
“I am very proud with the way that our players played,” Osborne said of Carthage’s win over the Falcons after falling short for successive years in the sectional playoff. “They played with a lot of heart and they did a great job of playing their game. They showed a lot of growth since last season. They played tight and nervous in 2009, but this year they did a good job of treating it like a normal game.”
Rock Bridge, a 3-2 winner over Rolla in its sectional playoff, is a defensive savvy team, led by team captain Ryan Taylor. Taylor, a senior, has a pair of goals and four assists.
“The defense is the cornerstone of this team,” Columbia Rock Bridge soccer coach Kyle Austin told the Columbia Tribune.
Matt Kelly is Rock Bridge’s overwhelming scoring leader with 26 goals and nine assists. To put things in perspective, Ryan Schmidt, the team’s second leading scorer, has nine goals. With that said, it will be paramount for the Tigers, led this year by Ismael Serratos’ 33 goals, to continue to utilize their strong counterattack and match the Bruins’ feverish playing style.
“We’re going to have to stay very organized and match their intensity,” Osborne said. “We have to make sure that we are mentally prepared and that we keep our focus for the full 80-plus minutes.
“Since they have a lot of speed and size, we are going to have to play with speed. Our passing is going to have to be sharp and we just have to let the ball do the work and keep it moving.”
The winner of Saturday’s match moves on to play in the semifinal round of the MSHSAA Championships Friday, Nov. 19, at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton.
