The Randall girls’ and boys’ soccer teams officially ended their tournament and scrimmage season and started district on Jan. 28. Both teams lost their first game to Lubbock Cooper; however, they are looking at this opportunity to improve themselves and they have high hopes for the rest of the season.

“We have a really good team this year and we’ve improved a lot from last year so I’m excited to start district,” junior Maggie Sharp said. “We all have the heart to want it this year, and I think if we work hard we can make it to state.”

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We all have the heart to want it this year, and I think if we work hard we can make it to state.

— Maggie Sharp

Beginning in December, both teams participated in the annual Alumni games, scrimmages, the WT Freeze tournament, and the Saginaw tournament which gave the girls a total of 7 wins 2 losses and 1 tie and the boys 9 wins 2 losses and 2 ties. As district starts, the score chart clears and none of the previous scores count, but the preseason scores are still important, as they can decide which team goes to playoffs in the event that two teams finish district in a tie.

“I enjoyed our tournaments because we got to play teams we don’t usually play which gave us good competition,” Sharp said. “During our Saginaw tournament, we shut down every team we played and we didn’t let anybody score.”

The soccer teams have already battled through the hard cold rain, temperatures close to below 20 degrees, wind at about the speed of 75 mph, and even a little bit of snow and there is more to come as the cold seasons kick in.

“We’re used to the wind blowing mostly, but when we went to play in the crazy weather sometimes it’s hard to keep the ball in control and we head the ball around a lot,” Sharp said.

The boys through their tournaments and preseason dealt with much of the harsher weather conditions, but they made the weather work to their benefit.

“Randall isn’t messing around this year, we won’t stop fighting and our past failures only make us stronger,” senior Ben Duarte said. “I’ve always loved playing soccer because the best part is playing people who are better than you because it is so uncertain how each game will go which is both scary and exciting.”

Both teams have gradually improved their scores over the years, and this year they have taken their hard work to the next level and have been beating teams that they’ve struggled to play against in the past. They have been practicing more attacking drills and training preparation that has shaped them to where they are now- prepared for district.

“Our first district game did not go as planned and we got a bit frustrated with how things went, but we are just beginning the season so we have a lot more games to win,” Duarte said. “This year with our new coach and new training, I believe I’m in the best shape I’ve been in, and I want to help guide my team to our success towards district.”

Varsity games mostly fall every Tuesday and Friday since district has started, and when one team plays home, the other will play away that day at the competition’s home field.