Islander

Bears win 2 to 1.  Congrats to the Bears and Coach Watts!!!!!!

Way to go Emily!!!!! It would be nice to see some of the talented girls from the area playing at Lamar.  Why search far and wide for talent when it is right here in your own back yard?

Garhett Bonneaux playing for Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.

A big "Thank You" goes out to Bears Coach Jeremy Watzlavik.  He was instrumental in helping Garhett get to the next level.  I enjoyed talking soccer with you for the past two years, Coach.  I can't wait for next season!!! The Islander

Excellent night of soccer. Thanks to the organizers.  I really enjoyed the solid play by the participants.  Nice passing and trapping.  Exciting stuff.  Thanks Players!!!  Good playing with you Nederland dudes again.  The Boy really enjoyed it!!!

Congrats to the Lady Bears

tough break for the BEARS.  Great job for a super season.  

Refs should be out of the game now.  Come on BEARS!!!!!

My reports are that the 2nd call vs. Hearns was a TERRIBLE call.  I sure hate that for the Lady Bears.  And now, they are forced to play with only 10.  GEEEZ!!

Emily Hughes is a dynamo.  She is a force!!!! I sure hope the 2nd yellow against Hearn wasn't a cheapy.

First of all, congrats to Lumberton on a nice win. I was at the game and enjoyed the action.  I concur with Never's post, and can't say it any better than what that post states. It is idiotic to suggest that when one team beats another, that the losing team quit. Wedel's track record speaks for itself.  He coached my son for two seasons. I have no complaints. And, my son is better person and player for the experience. Thank you, Coach Wedel. Let the cowardly dog bark in the distance.  Those tiresome sounds will just blend into the background when the people striving forward finally achieve their goals.    

We will see on Thursday.  I will be there.  Should be fun.

Boys:  38-4A will sweep 37-4A.  Just like last season.  Talent-wise, these two districts are seriously imbalanced. 

In the ultra-competitive District 38-4A, the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears entered the final game of the season in a three-way tie for third place.  With the three third-place teams contending for two available playoff spots, the Bears faced the tough task hosting the 2nd place Port Neches-Groves Indians on Friday night.  When the dust settled, the Bears ended up on the short end of a painful 3-0 loss and eliminated from the playoffs.     Owning a tie-break advantage over both Vidor and Central, the Bears could secure a playoff spot by winning their game or getting help from a loss by either Vidor or Central.  Unfortunately, the Bears' loss coupled with wins from Vidor and Central ended their season.     Coach Jeremy Watzlavik focused on the positives from a tough night. "The boys gave it all they had from the beginning to the end", said Watzlavik.  "They are my boys, and though it may be a dissappointment that we missed the playoffs, the thing that saddens me the most is that our journey together this season is over."     The Bears came out strong in the opening moments of the game.  The Bears offensive attack controlled the action during a crisp first half.  The Bears attacked the Indians goal on a consistent basis.  The Indian defense was successful in keeping the Bears from scoring.  The first half tied at 0-0.     At halftime, the Bears learned that Vidor won in overtime and that Central was on its way to a suprising 4-1 victory the first place Nederland Bulldogs.     The bad news continued into what turned out to be a very long second half for the Bears.  The Indians' halftime adjustments began paying immediate dividends in the second half.  The Indians scored at the 43-minute mark.  Then, the Indians scored two minutes later.  And, midway through the second half, the Indians added a third goal.     The Bears made a valiant effort to generate a score, but were unsuccessful.  The Bears never gave up and played hard during the entire game.     In the end, the physical season took a toll on the Bears.  During the season, the Bears lost 6 of their top 13 players due to injuries and adversity.  Although Coach Watzlavik's enjoyed success with a constant juggling of his lineup, playing without a fully healthy team finally caught up with the Bears against a strong Indian team.     The game was Senior Night for the Bears.  Seniors Zack Blanchard, Garhett Bonneaux, Harley Cobb, Tanner Crow, Adam Garza, Christian Harley, Mitchell Heil, Tommy Jones, and Jordan King were recognized prior to their final home game for LC-M.  The seniors performed well during their last game.  Watzlavik stated that "I will miss our senior players.  I will begin a new journey with the other players next year.  But, these seniors were a special group of players."      Coach Watzlavik and his players worked hard to maximize their performance on the field.  It was truly a pleasure to cover a team that played with skill, sportmanship, and class for every game during this long season.  The team's accomplishments were made in spite of several obstacles and adversity.  Many thanks to Coach Watzlavik and the players for including me in their journey.  Though they fell one step short of their goal, this Bears team was definitely a winner.   

[quote name="WOSgrad" post="985174" timestamp="1300488013"] [quote author=soccerinsider link=topic=81819.msg985115#msg985115 date=1300485243] I hope Vidor makes it into playoffs, but all of this depending on other teams to win or lose is just plain frustrating.  Watching the second round of district, Vidor has shown that they are as good or better than any of the other top teams in district.  How is it that we are going into the last game of district on a prayer, that other teams will lose so that we can make it into the playoffs?  With the talent level and the experience on this team we should be comfortably sitting in a playoff spot like PNG and Nederland.  I hate to compare us to them but I feel like we have the same amount of talent, if not more.  With all of this negativity aside, I will be cheering for you tonight, and you can count me in, as one of the fans praying that you'll make it.  [/quote] Boy, you are just gonna take shots at Coach Weidel right to the bitter end, huh?  I'm no soccer officianado (sp)...might not even consider myself a fan.  But for Vidor to still have a shot at the playoffs in what seems to be a pretty tough district seems to be more of a testament to his coaching ability than his indictment of it.  Why don't you stop the nitpicking and get behind you team no matter what? [/quote] I agree with WOSgrad.  Lets just play ball and leave the personal attacks for another time and place. (If at all) .  Time to grow up.

Needing a win to keep control of their playoff hopes, the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears soccer defeated the Ozen Panthers 3-1 in Beaumont  Stadium on Tuesday night.  Daniel Delafuente paced the Bears with two goals; and Yohannes Dundon added one goal.  Garhett Bonneaux, Collin Foster, and Mitchell Heil each earned an assist for the Bears.     Coach Jeremy Watzlavik was satisfied with the Bears' victory.  "The boys played well.  Ozen fought hard.  I have the utmost respect for their coach.  They have improved greatly since the first time that we played them", Watzlavik stated.     The Bears controlled the Panthers throughout the entire game.  In the first half, the Bears’ offense enjoyed the wind at their backs on a perfect night to be outdoors.     The Bears scored first in the game's 13th minute.  Garhett Bonneaux was fouled on the left side of the penalty box.  Bonneaux promptly crossed the ball to Yohannes Dundon.  Dundon made a strong kick for a goal to give the Bears a 1-0 lead     The Bears struck again at the 30-minute mark when Collin Foster sent a beautiful through-ball to Daniel Delafuente. The long distance pass hit Delafuente at the 25 yard line.  Delafuente then manuevered around an Ozen defender and kicked the ball for a goal.     The first half ended with the Bears leading 2-0.     Playing against the wind in the second half, the Bears began play with a slow start.  Ozen scored 5 minutes in the half as the LC-M defense appeared to cause Ozen to commit an offsides violation.  The Ozen forward, however, drilled a kick into the goal to cut the Bears' lead to 2-1.     The Bears quickly responded 4 minutes later when Mitchell Heil drove deep into Ozen territory.  Heil sent a pass to Delafuente in the middle of the field.  Delafuente then concluded the game's scoring when he scored from eight yards out to give the Bears a 3-1 margin.     The win keeps the Bears in control of their playoff destiny. “It was a good game to get us ready for the very important match up with PN-G on Friday.  There are still three out of four playoff spots up for grabs.  This Friday will be excitment for three teams and a heartache for one", Watzlavik explained.     The Bears host the Port Neches-Groves Indians Friday night.

Vidor is no fluke.  They are big and fast.  And, Coach Wedel will have the players in the right spot.  Yep, I would say that they are jelling at the right time.  And, I am not suprised.

Battling for sole possession of third place in the district, the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears soccer team suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss to the Vidor Pirates Friday night at Battlin' Bears Stadium.  Zack Barton scored the lone goal for the Pirates on a direct free kick.     Bears Coach Jeremy Watzlavik complimented the play of the Pirates.  "The Pirates played well.  They deserved to win."  A relieved Pirate Coach Matt Wedel was satisfied with a hard-fought win that cemented his team's playoff ticket.     The physical play seemed to favor the athletic Pirate team.  In the first half, the Pirates played with a high level of energy that kept challenging the Bears' defense.     With 13 minutes remaining in the first half, the Pirates were awarded a direct free kick at the Bears 20-yard line.  Wedel called for his leader Zack Barton to take the kick.  Barton blasted the ball to the upper right side of the goal for a 1-0 lead.  The first half ended with the Pirates leading 1-0.     The Bears played with an increased  sense of urgency in the second half.  The physical play esculated in the second half with both teams pushing hard for the win.  Vidor not only successfully defended their goal, but also made several runs at the Bears' goal.  The Bears defense was successful in denying the Pirates' scoring attempts.      The game was entertaining for the fans.  Wedel's return to the Bears home turf against some of his former players sparked both teams to play hard. The game ended without either team scoring in the second half.     The loss moves the Bears' into fourth place with two games remaining.  The Bears travel to Beaumont on Tuesday to face the Ozen Panthers.  On Friday, the Bears face the Port Neches-Groves Indians.  Althought the Bears still control their playoff destiny, the next couple of games could prove to be difficult.     

Zachary Blanchard's header off a corner kick from Garhett Bonneaux propelled the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears soccer team to a thrilling 2-1 come from behind victory over the Central Jaguars Tuesday night in Beaumont.  Blanchard's game-winning goal occurred with three minutes remaining in the game. Bonneaux also scored a goal on an assist from Jordan King in a game featurng two teams battling for a playoff spot.     Bears Head Coach Jeremy Watzlavik was excited with the Bear's clutch win. "I am so proud of this team", said Watzlavik of his team's effort.  "This season, we have come through injury and adversity.  Tonight, we were playing as a team, and capitalize the word 'team'."     Not only did the Bears face a strong Jaguar team, they also battled rain, wind, and a very sloppy field.  In the first half, it was the defense that kept the Bears in the game.  "Several times, our back defensive line caused the Jaguars to be offsides.  And goalie Adam Garza had a great game," Watzlavik commented.   Following a scoreless first half, the Jaguars scored approximately three minutes into the second half when a Bear defender lost his footing on the slick field for a 1-0 lead.      The Bears quickly responded with a goal two minutes later.  Jordan King drove the ball down the left side of the field and centered the ball to Bonneaux near the 18-yard box.  Bonneaux then pivoted around towards the Jaguar goal and booted the ball past the goalie for a score.     "Our first goal was the result of beautiful ball movement", Watlavik stated.  "It was pretty soccer.  The drive, the pass, and the score were all well-executed."      Bonneaux was quick to recognize Jordan King's contribution to the game-tying score.  "Jordan had a good run to draw two defenders and that left me open", Bonneaux described.  "He made a spot-on pass through the two defenders and that's what gave me the time and space to score."      Throughout the second half, the Bears appeared to gain momentum.  Several Bears' shots on goal were denied by a strong Jaguar defense. As the contest continued, defenders Zarchary Blanchard, Harley Cobb, and Erik Tutt were critical in keeping the Jaguars from scoring. Keeper Adam Garza made several saves.  Other Bears with strong performances were Mitchell Heil, Tanner Crow, Daniel Delafuente, Ceasar Coca, and Yohannes Dundon.        The teams exhaustedly battled as the second half was nearing an end.  With three minutes remaining in the game, the Bears earned a corner kick on the left side of the field.  The Bears packed their offense in front of the Jaguars goal.  Bonneaux then sent a corner kick at head level directed five yards from the Jaguar goal.  Zachary Blanchard then perfectly headed the ball for the game-winning goal.     "Blanchard's first goal of the season couldn't have come at a better time" said Watzlavik of his stellar defender.      Blanchard explained that "my job on the corner kick was to mark the goalie and get in his way".  "It was a really good cross by Bonneaux and then I hit the ball with the left side of my head".  When Blanchard saw the ball go into the net for a score,  he stated that "I was really pumped up."     Time expired before the Jaguars could tie the game.      "It was a great team effort", said Coach Watzlavik.  "All of our players had a really good game.  Central is a great team, but our kids were up to the task."     The memorable win was a hard earned effort.  And for the Bears, a most satisfying night for a team that proved that it will be in the thick of the playoff hunt.  The Bears host the Vidor Pirates on Friday night.           

    The Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears soccer team coasted to a 6-1 win over the Bridge City Cardinals on Friday night at Battlin' Bear Stadium.  Tanner Crow, Yohannes Dundon, Jordan King, Garhett Bonneaux, Daniel Delafuente, and Nathaniel Moody each scored a goal for the Bears.  Dundon, Bonneaux, and Mitchell Heil each earned an assist.     With spectators enjoying the near-perfect weather, the Bears' balanced attack began with a bang when the team scored three goals in the game's first ten minutes.     Six minutes into the game, Dundon's strong shot bounced off the Cardinals' goalie.  Crow grabbed the rebound and scored from ten yards out for a 1-0 Bears lead.     A minute later, Dundon received an accurate through-ball from Heil and dribbled for nearly 30 yards downfield.  Dundon finished off his drive with a solid shot past the goalie for a 2-0 advantage.     Next, Jordan King scored with a powerful 25-yard goal from the right side of the field.  With the Bears leading 3-0, Bonneaux drove around two defenders and drilled the ball into the net.      The first half ended with the Bears leading 4-0.  Bears Coach Jeremy Watzlavik enjoyed the Bears' first half production.  "We played well as a team in the first half," said Watzlavik.   The Bridge City Cardinals answered with a goal of their own 20 minutes into the second half.  Eppy Mungiua  scored for the Cardinals when he boomed a close range goal in traffic.     Three minutes later, Delafuente gathered the ball around midfield and quickly drove 40 yards downfield.  Delafuente then gave the Bears a 5-1 lead when he kicked the ball for a score.   With ten minutes remaining, Bonneaux was fouled while driving near the Cardinal goal.  Bonneaux then kicked the ball to Nathaniel Moody.  Moody booted the ball for a goal to finalize the game's scoring with the Bears leading at 6-1.            Bears Coach Jeremy Watzlavik was satisfied with his team's victory.  "The whole team played well", said Watzlavik.     On Tuesday, the Bears travel to Beaumont to face the Central Jaguars.     

I wasn't at the game, but I was told Emily Hughes had two goals.  Way to go, Emily on a strong return to the game.

Bears beat Central head to head.

With second place in district at stake, the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears soccer team suffered a disappointing 2-0 road loss against the Port Neches-Groves Indians on Tuesday.  The loss moves the Bears into third place, while the Indians' victory places them into sole possession of second place. Indians Coach Don Sandell was proud of his team's victory.  "We felt that LC-M was the district's hottest team.  I felt our team had to protect home field.  That's why this game was so important for us," stated Sandell.  On a beautiful night for soccer, the Indians jumped out to a strong start.  The Indians used a short passing game to controll the game's early action. LC-M's defense was a major concern for the Indians.  "We thought that short passes were the way to get around the Bears defense", said Sandell. Twelve minutes into the game, the Indians were on attack deep into Bear territory.  Indian forward Trevor Hoffpauir intercepted an attempted crossing pass and booted the ball for a goal and a 1-0 lead. Sandovall was proud of Hoffpauir's score.  "He has worked hard on keeping his shot low.  He kept his cool and put the ball in the corner", observed Sandell. Following the score, the Bears offense began to apply pressure on the Indians' defense. The Bears were unable to connect as the first half ended with the Indians leading 1-0. In the second half, the game's action was more even.  The Indians scored an insurance goal at the 52-minute mark when J.C. Figueroa received a pass in front of the Bears' goal.  Figueroa shot a short-range goal while surrounded by several Bear defenders.  "Figueroa's shot was a great finish", Sandell noted.  The Bears pushed hard to regroup.  The strong Indian defense, however, successfully defender their goal to earn a shut out. Bears Coach Jeremy Watzlavik was disappointed with the loss.  "We had a decent first half", said Watzlavik, "but we need to keep improving for the second half." "We beat a good team tonight", Sandell said.  "It is a huge momentum win for us.  Coach Watzlavik did a great job coaching.  And, the Bears played hard."  The Bears travel to Hamshire-Fannett on Friday to begin the second half  of the district schedule.

Garhett Bonneaux, Tanner Crow, and Nathanael Moody each scored two goals to lead the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears to a 6-1 win over the Ozen Panthers at Battlin’ Bears Stadium on Friday night.  The victory places the Bears in a 2nd place tie with the Port Neches-Groves Indians with a 5-1 district record. Bears Coach Jeremy Watzlavik thought his entire team played well.  "It was a team effort.  We took care of business tonight", said Watzlavik.  "Ozen is an aggressive, hard-working team."  But, the Bears were operating on all cylinders. The Bears dominated the Panthers throughout the entire game.  In the first half, the Panthers' packed defense "made it hard for us to score in the first half," Watzlavik commented.  The Bears offense finally connected at the 25 minute mark when the Bears were awarded an indirect freekick.  Mitchell Heil tapped the ball to Bonneaux, who boomed the ball from 25 yards out for a 1-0 Bears lead.   The Bears defense was very successful in limiting Ozen's pressure on the Bears' goalie.  And, the first half ended with the Bears leading 1-0.   The Bears offense came alive in the second half.  At the 45 minute mark, Yohannes Dundon dribbled to the deep right corner and crossed in a ball to Tanner Crow.  In an impressive athletic move, the running Crow lowered his head to connect on a hard header past the goalie for a 2-0 Bears lead. Two minutes later, the Bears earned a penalty kick after Crow was fouled in the penalty box.  Crow calmly converted the penalty kick into a goal to give the Bears a 3-0 lead. With approximately 20 minutes remaining, Bears forward Nathanael Moody scored two goals within in three minutes.  Moody's first goal was a strong kick from 20 yards out.  Then, Moody scored from close range following a nice cross from Bonneaux.   Bonneaux put the finishing touch on the Bears' scoring when he was fouled driving to the goal.  Bonneaux quickly drilled the penalty kick from 25 yards out to give the Bears a 6-0. Ozen scored their goal less than a minute latter with a nice shot from the left side.   The Bears solid win sets up a show down with Indians on Tuesday.  The Bears travel to PN-G with sole possession of 2nd place at stake. "Hopefully, we will be healthy", said Watzlavik.  "And, we will see what happens."

Not that Coach Wedel needs to be defended, but I have known him for 5 years and know that he is universally respected as being one of the top soccer coaches in the area.  I have yet to hear any negative comments about his ability to coach soccer.  Comparing the performance difference between the Vidor club team (not coached by Wedel) and the Vidor high school team (coached by Wedel) is like night and day.  Wedel has those kids performing at a high level.  The kids are playing in the proper positions.  Vidor is a well respected team.  No doubt about that.  On top of his soccer knowledge, he has a genuine concern for the kids that he coaches.  He is dedicated to his job.  Bottom line: he can coach any of my kids, any time. I agree with the comments from Never.  I have watched the video of the two goals by LC-M.  The goals were shots that I don't think any goalie in the district would have a chance of stopping. I want to stress that we should focus on the positive aspects of sports.  Looking at the big picture, it is just a game.  But there are so many life lessons that we can teach our young adults through sports and competition.  The first half of the season is nearly over, and I have seen several things to be encouraged about the remainder of the season.  I guess its just how each of us chose to look at things.