REEDLEY – At the end of another successful season, the Reedley boys have everything working for them as they squared off against Selma for their final match. And nothing the Bears did could steer the Pirates off their course of fantastic play.Â
Reedley pushed their current eight game winning streak to nine with a dominant 6-0 victory against the Bears at the Reedley Soccer Complex on Feb. 11. The Pirates finish the season with an impressive 16-3-4 overall record and a perfect 7-0-1 to claim the Tri-County-Kings Canyon (TCKC) League title for the second consecutive season.Â
Unfortunately for Selma, the Pirates didn’t feel like satisfying the Bears’ appetite for a much-needed win. Reedley maintained their focus and displayed the same aggressive style and attack that has made them one of the Central Section’s most dangerous teams all season.
Earlier this season on Jan. 24, the Pirates had to wrestle the Bears up and down the pitch in order to pull out a close 3-2 victory. But unlike their previous meeting, Reedley channeled their desire and motivation to put away Selma as soon as possible so as to avoid another close call. And while the Pirates put all the pressure on the Bears, this game, in some ways, felt vaguely familiar to their previous match.Â
“It was really interesting, I honestly thought we played just as well as the first game – and in soccer, at times, if the momentum goes your way, you manage to get goals,” said Reedley head coach Eric Velarde about his team’s execution. “We got the goals early; we scored a ton of goals, and it was fantastic for us.”
Reedley senior striker Juan Rico proved fantastic on the pitch on a frigid, but exciting night. Rico split his defenders on several occasions, giving the Bears fits all night with his play at midfield and near the Selma box. Rico sliced through the defense to score two of his game-high three goals in the first half.Â
Fellow seniors Kevin Garcia and Steven Rios joined in on the scoring party for the Pirates. Garcia scored two goals a piece and Rios snuck in a goal of his own in the 31st minute of the second half.Â
Rico, who emerged from a role player last season, to a key offensive weapon this season, showed the Bears first hand why he’s been one of Reedley’s most explosive players.Â
“He’s been fantastic throughout the season; he’s developed from being a role player last year to being a key figure on our team this year,” said Velarde about Rico’s impact on the team. “He’s done a fantastic job.”
With a convincing, season-ending victory all wrapped up, the Pirates will now look forward to another trip to the playoffs. Last season, Reedley advanced to the semifinals of the Division I Central Section Championships; however, their ships ran into some rough waters as Ridgeview (Bakersfield) ended their season with a 3-2 victory.Â
Aiming for redemption this postseason, Velarde knows his team must respect the competition if they’re truly ready to emerge as division champs. And while this win feels good, the Pirates work isn’t finished yet.Â
“In order to see your best, you have to play against the best,” said Velarde about the competition. “That’s not to diminish our league and who we are, but we know that going into Division I, looking to be the best team in the section, you need to play your best games against the best teams.”
With the opening round of the 2024-25 Central Section Division I playoffs set to begin within the next week, Reedley has plenty of time to get ready for the best.
“We’ve been training and doing everything really well, so the attitude from the guys has been great,” said Velarde about his team’s preparation. “We’ll study the team that we’re coming up against, and prepare our team better than anybody else can.”
