Practice has been over for an hour, but Sam Houston soccer star Oscar Rodriguez still looks ready to shut down anyone who dares to try to put a shot past him.
It’s a cold late-winter afternoon and the senior goalkeeper is wearing a T-shirt from a popular athletic apparel company that reads in big block letters, “I’m that dude.”“That dude” happens to be the best goalkeeper in District 3-5A, one of the best in the state and the main reason why the senior-led Texans appear poised to capture their first district title since 2009 — and perhaps get further in the playoffs than any boys soccer team in school history.“Last year was kind of like a dream season,” Oscar Rodriguez said of the 2012 squad that went three rounds deep in the postseason, the best run in school history. “But this year everybody has more experience and knows what to do and plays their part.”The part Oscar Rodriguez plays has been vital to Sam Houston’s success. So far, he’s posted 10 shutouts. Fourth-year coach Joey Rodriguez raves about the noticeable improvement his goalkeeper has made since his junior season.It’s not that Oscar Rodriguez, one of 17 seniors on this season’s squad, disappointed him. As a junior, he earned first-team all-district and all-region honors. He was also named second-team all-state.But much like the team itself, the goalkeeper a few times appeared a bit unfocused in his coach’s opinion. Sam Houston last season fell short of winning district because of a couple late-season losses that Joey Rodriguez thinks could have been avoided.“Last year, he was a little inconsistent,” Joey Rodriguez said. “But this year he’s been really focused. I think he takes every game as if it’s his last game. He plays his heart out and it shows.”As strong as is his play is in regulation, Oscar Rodriguez’s performance goes up a notch in shootouts, the coach said. A 4-1 victory against North Crowley on Friday kept the Texans unbeaten through nine district matches. Three of the victories have come in shootouts, including a 1-0 decision at rival Martin. The district opts for a shootout to settle a tied game.Oscar Rodriguez has been a difference-maker in each of those shootouts, notching six saves on 15 shot attempts — no easy feat in the offense-friendly shootout. Five offensive players for each side take what amounts to a penalty kick, often a high-percentage scoring play.“The first shootout was one of the most intense ones,” Oscar Rodriguez said. “And then I got used to them and just knowing what to do. And just looking at the players and how they position themselves helps out tremendously.”In addition to the goalkeeper’s timely stops, the Texans’ balanced attack is producing timely goals. Senior forwards T.J. Moreno, Christian Fuentes and Miguel Alvarez each have 10 or more goals. The coach said there’s always someone stepping up to give the Texans a needed score, even from among the defenders.“We can get goals from anyone on the field,” Joey Rodriguez said. “It’s really guys stepping up and doing what it takes to win. That’s been the difference. We didn’t get timely goals last year. We do this year.”Joey Rodriguez, who has made the playoffs in each of his first three seasons, has seen his program building toward the team he has this season. He’s not ready to congratulate his squad on a job well done just yet. But he sees no reason why his goalkeeper and balanced scorers won’t continue to do whatever is needed to secure that elusive district title.“It would mean a ton,” the coach said. “My first year, I thought we had it. We ended up losing a couple games at the end. Last year, we thought we had a good team, but we ended up falling a couple games short. But this group has seen it all — the almost getting it done —and now we want to get there.”Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
