Freshman season, Game Three, Win Three: at Atoka Wampus Cats--Goal One!

Freshman Season, First Varsity Scrimmages: vs. Ardmore and Del City

2/20/2022: As I write this, it has almost been a year since Emilio first suited up with the high school varsity soccer team. For several reasons, I am only now posting these videos. First of all, with 14 scheduled games and several additional scrimmages--including these first two--there were a lot of videos to work through. Secondly, it was hard to pick highlight or representative videos. After many years of club soccer, I could usually restrict myself to just posting assists and goals scored, but in time, we learned that for several reasons goal-scoring was not going to be Emilio's game for the 2021-2022 Ada varsity. Looking back on these videos a year later, it is easier to know what to look for.

Through February 2021, Emilio played on the 9th grade basketball team. The team did well, but it was a frustrating year for Emilio because he was excluded from practicing with the team for multiple weeks because he was exposed to Covid at school. Though Emilio and everyone else in our family diligently observed all the Covid protocols, and he never got Covid himself, he was nevertheless prohibited from practicing or playing with the team for long stretches of the season. There were times when his medical suspension would have been reduced if he had actually caught the virus. Ugh. I've written about this elsewhere.

Part of what made the basketball frustrations difficult was that by playing basketball, Emilio sacrificed time to practice with the soccer team.

Nevertheless, we were greatly pleased when he was slotted in to the starting lineup from his first day of soccer practice. It was an honor he never surrendered. But we didn't know that is how it would play out when we went to that first scrimmage, potentially jeopardizing his status on the team as a freshman.

This was the starting line-up in our 4-3-3 formation at the first scrimmage in Ardmore: Keeper: Colton Scull (Fr.); Right fullback: Dani Monjares (Sr.); Right center-back: Eli Alvarez (Sr.); Left center-back: Philip Jones (Sr.); Left fullback: Dane McKinney (Sr.); Right midfield: Sam Rhynes (So.); Center mid: Minh Nguyen (Jr.); Left midfield: Sal Vallin (Sr.); Right forward: Taylor Byrd (Sr.); Center forward: Jonah Ascencion (Jr.); Left forward: Emilio (Fr.); 

    
It was somewhat alarming that Emilio's first "play" against 5A Ardmore was a whiff. But, fortunately, it was not a sign of the season ahead. As we learned, minute after minute, week after week, the game was not too big for this ninth grader. To Emilio's credit, he thinks this video is funny (though he didn't think the whiff was funny when he was playing the game).

 
This stretch of play was as representative as any other: good vision and passing; lots of rushing back and forth between offensive and defensive responsibilities (with some lack of clarity about his role and the team's needs); arriving half a step too late on occasion, but otherwise: solid defense when called on.
We lost this short scrimmage by several goals.

 

Several hours later, we scrimmaged against Del City, and we outscored them as handily as Ardmore outscored us. One of those goals came on this assist from Emilio to Sam.


The urgency of publishing videos was mitigated by the fact that every game was recorded in its entirety and posted on hudl.com. In theory I can download these videos, as I have the one above (though you have to endure an ad to see it) , but I didn't do that throughout the season, partly because Emilio believes that everyone notices when you grab a clip from hudl, and he doesn't want me to draw too much attention to him. In time, as I became confident that every game was being recorded, I took a position on the sideline to take closer shots from an angle not provided by the official game cameras.
   
The Hockey Assist: From Emilio to Jonah to Taylor. I don't know if there is a term for the Hockey Assist, once-removed, it would go to Sal, who fed Emilio with a back-heel tap. 
Another representative play: Emilio makes a good run here and finds himself alone in front of an open net. Taylor was our number-one goal scorer on the season (I believe he set a school record), but he didn't sneak this one through.

Swish!

Emilio spent a lot of the Covid-shutdown shooting baskets, getting ready for 9th grade basketball, and when the season rolled around he was set on getting meaningful minutes. In the first game of the season, playing off the bench, he got more minutes than some of the starters.

And then he got quarantined and missed a game and a week of practice.

When he was finally cleared to return, he had lost his spot in the rotation and didn't get off the bench in the next two games.

And then he was quarantined a second time.

After missing another week of practice, he wasn't sure if he'd even be allowed to suit up. With just two more weeks to play in the season, he was beginning to wonder if he should just turn his attention to soccer.

On Monday, though, he learned that he would be able to rejoin the team if he wore a mask.

Monday night, I went to the game and was plugging game stats into my phone near the end of the first half, when I heard Case's mom shouting "Let's go, Emilio!" I was shocked. I looked up and #10 was at the scorer's table. The game was tight and despite missing the last week of practice, Emilio was coming in. (I later learned that it was because the coach was confident that Emilio knew the plays.) He played with energy and confidence, and he came in again late in the 2nd half.

When J.D. kicked an offensive rebound out to Emilio on the wing, Emilio did not hesitate to pull the 3-point trigger.

And he got nothing but net.

I was on the floor on the corner, trying to get video, but Emilio was on the other side of the court from me and I couldn't see him through the mass of bodies in the paint. I didn't see the release, but once it went through, I looked over the players I could see and realized Emilio was the shooter. Fortunately, the game was filmed and later put on the internet. The clip above comes from that feed.

It was a good night.

2020 Tree

Nina and Pablo got Emilio NBA 2K21 for the XBox--which he really wanted and didn't think they could afford. They hid it between two old bicycle helmets, and Emilio was sure they had gotten him a basketball (which he also wanted).

He was pleased and surprised.

Lisa, Melissa, and Norah got him a Mavs Gaiter that he temporarily wore like a do-rag.

15

When we were in Oklahoma City a couple of weeks ago, we bought Emilio new soccer cleats, new tennis shoes, and a new backpack for his birthday. This morning, he started the day with powdered doughnuts, and headed to school.

Shortly after 1 pm, he learned that one of his teammates on the 9th grade basketball team had tested positive for Covid-19, and Emilio and every other member of the basketball team was sent home with instructions not to return to school until November 30th. Emilio was really looking forward to playing two U19 soccer games this weekend, but now his soccer season may be over. He was also looking forward to particiapting in the academic team's "Math Meet" on the 19th, but that, too, may be out the window.

When I got home, I took him to the Urgent Care clinic to get a test, but they told us they are not taking walk-in appointments anymore. We got on their waitlist, but we later learned that they don't recommend that we come in until Saturday at the earliest.

I later took Emilio for his first driving lesson in the parking lot of "The Refuge" church.

When we got back to the house, Emilio agreed to pose for the birthday portraits in this post, and he spent most of the rest of the afternoon upstairs.

I picked up yellow rice and pizza for him from the Asian Buffet, and later I got him a Brownie Sundae from Braum's. When he came down to eat it on the back porch, we sang "Happy Birthday" to him and he blew out the candles, that were placed in the pear cake Aunt Carolyn had sent him, along with a card and a couple of Jacksons, that he was thrilled to receive. He was also delighted by the maroon, zippered hoodie and Luka Doncic t-shirt that Mom and Dad sent him.

His spirits are undimmed, and he is looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.

Game 14: Turkey Shootout Showdown

Sunday morning, we left the hotel at 8:15 a.m. for a 9:30 match (Coach Vaughn wants us there an hour early).  Having tied our first two games, we needed a win to advance.

McAlester took at 1-0 lead, but we soon tied them up. 

Emilio took this foul in the penalty box.


Five minutes later, he got kicked in the foot. It hurt, but he got up quickly. No foul was called.
This clever run ended with a header/crosser that fell short of the mark.
Eventually, we fell 3-1, but I think Emilio gained confidence the more he played. And he looked comfortable at right forward.

Game 13: The Turkey Shootout Night Game

After spending our afternoon in our hotel room, we headed back to the soccer pitch for an 8 pm game under the lights against Elk City, which had lost to McAlester 2-1 earlier in the day.

They took a 2-0 lead over us, but again, we managed to tie the game in the 2nd half.