Grapevine soccer’s leadership forms foundation

With the move to District 6-5A and the return of a number of key players on Grapevine’s boys soccer team, there is certainly an aire of confidence permeating the Mustangs’ early season practices.

The Mustangs had fought their way to the fourth place spot in last year’s tough district and bowed out to eventual state finalist, Coppell, in the first round of the playoffs.

But in the new alignment, Grapevine head coach Heath Bullard is cautiously optimistic.

Although all soccer teams spend the bulk of the early season finding the right mix of players, Grapevine is close to having that puzzle put into place prior to their first game of the season on Jan. 9.

The Mustangs will take on Keller in the first scrimmage on Jan. 3 and will follow that with one of the more appreciated events – the alumni game, on Jan. 4. Bullard said he expects between 30-40 former players to return for the alumni game, which includes a cookout and fundraising for the team’s scholarship program. The last test game will be on Jan. 7 against old nemesis Carroll.

Before then, the 2015 team will continue their workouts and fill in what few gaps may remain on the squad.

“There are still a couple of things to prove,” Bullard said of knowing the pieces aren’t yet cemented in place on the team. “We’ve had a few move-ins and putting people in the right place and finding who can score are still things we need to do.”

Some of the returners which are prompting some of the high hopes for Grapevine include Chad Sahinkaya, Renee Renteria, and Victor Herrera.

Bullard said defenders Cole Heath, Hogan Flora and Derrick Hammer should help round out the nucleus of the Mustangs when they begin play.

“One of our strengths that we have good leaders coming back,” Bullard added.

The Mustangs will look to build on the momentum they built at the end of last season, going 6-0-1 in the final round of district games before dropping the bi-district playoff game.

“The focus is going to be on scoring goals,” Bullard added as he reflected on the realities of the coming season.

“We had a lot of games that were 1-1, 0-0 or lose 2-1,” he said. “We had 24 games and too many were 1-goal games.”

Should Grapevine develop a few players who take on the role of go-to scorers, the Mustangs will be obvious contenders to take a district championship and improve their draw in the playoffs.

Although they lost last year’s goalkeeper to graduation, Bullard said there are a few ready and able players who can step in and anchor the defensive scheme.

“We do have a lot of returners but there can always be injuries and things happen,” Bullard said.

The games start for real on Jan. 9 - 11 when Grapevine takes part in the Winter Blast Tournament, played at Mustang-Panther Stadium.

This story was originally published December 15, 2014 at 3:08 PM with the headline "Grapevine soccer’s leadership forms foundation."