The noise that you might hear is the rumblings from the winning Kennedale High School Wildcat Soccer team. It is low now but it is growing. If you ask one of them about KHS soccer the first thing the players will say is that the Lady Kats are really good. That is true but the Wildcats are starting to make their own statement.
So far in pre-district play Kennedale is 5-5-1 and have made the championship game in two different tournaments this year. {{more}}
Coming off a 2-15-1 record last year, this year?s junior laden team has more than double their wins and recorded more scores in in their first 10 games than they did all of last season according to Coach Michael Strange who is starting his second season as head coach at Kennedale. Two years ago the team did not win a game.
The men?s soccer program at Kennedale has struggled since its inception. Like the women’s program it has had to play up a classification because there were not enough 3A teams in the state to have a separate division. That ends this year when the new realignment creates a 3A soccer division 2014-15.
Coach Strange comes from a successful program at Mansfield High. He coached the girls program for 3 years and then the boys program for 4 years. His last team at Mansfield made it to the 5A final four before losing out in the semis. He was attracted to Kennedale because it didn?t require coaching football; it was close to home; and, he would also be assisting with the girls program ? all pluses.
Coach Strange wants to start a ?legacy? for the Wildcats, one of winning. His first goal is make the playoffs.
He is counting on the leadership and play of his team captains ? Dan Gonzalez (Sr), Cameron Christoforo (Jr) and Marc Johnson (Jr). Top scorers for the Wildcats are Arturo Lopez (Sr), Gustavo Rodriquez (Jr) and Marc Johnson. Goalkeepers are Malik Jamsion (Sr) and Juan Ramirez (So).
The rest of the Wildcat varsity team are Nick Pac (Sr), David Ream (Jr), Keith Shrake (So), William McLean (Jr), Andrew McLaughlin (Jr), Jared Birr (Fr), Jose Perez (Sr), Michael Vargas (Jr), David Ortega (Jr), Guillermo Aceituno (Jr), Martin Marquez (Jr) and Aaron Wafayee (Jr). Assistant Coach is George Griffin.
