Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be one of the best soccer teams in the state?

Maize South girls soccer team went 14-1 for the regular season, earning them a #2 seed in the district playoffs. The team is currently on an 8-game winning streak.

Through hard work and practice, the girls soccer team has been able to improve vastly on their soccer skills this season working up to 1st place in the AVCTL Division 1 district.

Coach Ramirez, with it only being his first year working with the girls, has big goals for them, saying he wants to “change the culture of the team.”

This has included a more focused team mentality and improving each player’s mindset on winning.

The team might have lost their first game, but that didn’t demoralize them from working hard and honing their skills for the season. Even with the new coach, that did not stop the team from working together and staying united.

Ramirez has admired how well the team works together and how hard they push themselves.

“Very hard working group of girls that are united, technically skilled, fit athletic individuals, their greatest attribute is that their very united work hard play as a team,” said Ramirez. “With a team as skilled as Maize South, being a first year coach for a team like them should be a breeze.”

 Learning a new coach comes with learning new plays such as a move from four defensive players to three defensive players in the back. With the new formation, the team has more offensive opportunities to score goals.

“Started off trying to learn what he wanted from them because everything is different,” said Ramirez.

Even being 14-1 and headed to sub-state, Maize’s South team has still endured hardships under a new coach, multiple injuries and position switches.

Senior Dieu Trong has enjoyed the new changes with the team and is proud of how the girls have come together.

“A new formation, a new starting lineup (mid season), a new coach. This season has been a rollercoaster and this team has faced it all and overcome the battles with grit and perseverance,” said Truong.

Midfielder/forward Peyton Hendershot is proud of her coach for inspiring his players to keep together as a team through the season.

“Even though it is Rey’s first season with us, it seems like he has been our coach for forever. The team loves him, and we are so happy to have him as our coach. I don’t believe we would be as good as we are this year without him,” said Hendershot. 

Maize South plays next Tuesday against rival #3 seed Maize at MSHS and the winner will move to the 5A semifinals that next weekend.