District 24-4A Boys Soccer Teams story

From The Brazosport Facts

With classes postponed through April 10 and the UIL suspending all activities until at least May 4, Brazoria County coaches and athletes had to come up with ways to stay active.

The boys soccer teams in 24-4A are optimistic they'll be able to finish their seasons, but the need to stay active is critical if they are able to make it back on the pitch.

"We're just doing fun stuff, just little challenges against ourselves," Sweeny Coach Frank Echaerta said. "It's unprecedented what's going on, especially for the seniors. We're not really sure what UIL will decide and it'll be interesting what they do. All we can do is keep in touch with the kids and make sure they're OK."

The Bulldogs haven't had any strenuous workouts planned for their guys, but Echaerta wanted them to keep their feel for the ball intact with interactive challenges between the coaches and the players.

It was geared towards keeping spirits up in a time where the main objective for anyone is staying safe, he said.

"We wanted to make we did something that still kept them safe," Echaerta said. That is our No. 1 priority."

Sweeny is fourth in the district with 22 goals while conceding 18, with a spot in the playoffs secured if the season continues.

Columbia team captain Juan Rosas would like to get some players gathered around to work on shooting and touches since they would be out of school for awhile, Rosas said.

Rosas leads his team in scoring with 11 goals and assisted on four. Columbia has scored the third most goals in the district with 29, while only conceding 13.

Brazosport has the same kind of thinking in mind.

"There is no plan for us. They can go out individually and workout themselves, but social distancing applies to them as well," Brazosport coach Craig Mosely said.

Brazosport team captain Jayden Alvarez works out at home, doing core workouts, pushups and fitting in a two or three-mile run before going to the fields for some touches to keep his feel for the ball up to date, he said.

With social distancing in mind, Alvarez said he invites other guys to play soccer whenever he can, but when it comes to working out, he'd rather do that alone.

Alvarez led the Exporters with six goals and two assists while leading them to second place in the district before the seasons postponement. He not only wants to stay in shape in case they get to play again, but also to play for his club team, Buckeye Juniors, in the summer if everything calms down from the public health crisis.