Mavericks soccer season wrap-up

MOSES LAKE – The Mavericks boys soccer team has concluded another season, and signs of growth were felt throughout the year, according to head coach Miguel Segura.  

“We had a good season, this is one of the best seasons in the last five years, maybe six. A lot of these juniors got experience, especially in their freshman year, and I know some of them go out to Wenatchee and try to just play club, so that also helps a lot,” he said.

The Mavs' season record was 8-10; they struggled on the road, going 3-6, but finished the season with a winning 5-4 record at home. One highlight win that Segura pointed out was on the road against AC Davis. In March, they went to their field and came out victorious with a final score of 2-1.  

“We were seeing the chemistry coming together, we got a huge improvement on chemistry on Davis, I believe Moses Lake has not beaten Davis, at Davis for over seven or 10 years,” Segura said.  

At the beginning of the season, Segura held tryouts, not just for anyone looking to join the team, but even for players from the previous season. Every year, Segura has his players try out for the team again.  

“It was a hard decision for deciding teams, so I believe we made the right choices,” he said, “so we kind of have to build that up and make sure they know each other, build up the chemistry.” 

In late April, the Mavs began to build some momentum after winning four straight games. Three of which were 1-0 wins, but their fourth was a 3-2 win over West Valley. Now at 7-6, they were positioned to finish the season strong, but bumps in the road would make that difficult and they would lose two of their last three.  

“Unfortunately, some of (the players) got injured and weren't able to recover as quickly as we hoped, so that's where we had some issues,” Segura said.  

Once the regular season concluded, the Mavs would have their chance to make a run in the 4A district tournament. In the Big Nine play-in match on May 31, the Mavs were the fifth seed and would head on the road to face Sunnyside. Despite their best efforts, they would be eliminated after a 2-0 loss.  

Though their season was officially over, the Mavs had a lot to celebrate. Midfielders Joaquin Cervantes and David Martinez were named to the Big Nine’s second team All-Conference. Filemon Sanchez, Kyre Wiltbank, Andrew Calderon, and Dalton Fredig were named honorable mentions. Lastly, Ledger Archer was Moses Lake’s representative for the Big Nine’s sportsmanship award.  

As Segura looks forward to the future, he feels there is a lot to build on what they accomplished this year. Even though they will have to try out again, Segura said they should have a strong junior class to lead the team next season.  

“I know next year the chemistry that we're looking for, we're hoping to continue it, so hopefully they can all fit together. Next year should be a great year with all of these guys. We should have flagship juniors next year,” he said.  

Next season, Segura will be going into his fourth year as the head coach of the Mavericks. One takeaway he has noticed is how upperclassmen pass down knowledge and guidance to underclassmen before graduating, which helps in the long run to build a winning program. As he heads into the next year, he said he hopes to see that continue.  

    Moses Lake's Andres Solorzano preparing to kick the ball into play in a previous game this season. Solorzano is a sophomore defender and will look to help the Mavs build off their efforts this year.
  

    Mavs Ledger Archer pushes the ball toward center field in a previous game this season. Archer was awarded the sportsmanship award for the Mavericks in the Big Nine conference.
  

    Mavericks players celebrating after a goal in a previous game this season. Head coach Miguel Segura said he is optimistic his team will be able to build strong chemistry next year after their experiences this season.