HS Boys Soccer: Gritty Performance While A Man Down Rewards Grand Oaks With Big Win

SPRING, TX -- Several cards and a man-down disadvantage failed to stop the Grand Oaks Grizzlies on their way to a 3-1 win over the visiting Conroe Tigers.

Both squads got into their respective formations to start the game under intense fog and a starless sky. Despite the mildly adverse weather, either team's speed and aggression did not dissipate.

Conroe took the initial control of the momentum to get their attack into scoring position. In just the third minute of regulation, the Tiger attack broke through the Grizzly defense to put a shot on goal.

The Tiger shot missed wide right of the goal, but the offensive stance set the stage for many more fast-paced approaches during the early first half.

Grand Oaks responded in less than ten minutes with a flurry of breakthroughs that sought to break the early deadlock. The Grizzlies used their speed in the wings to soar past the opposing backs, but even with pace, the reliable defense from Conroe built a strong enough wall to prevent a score.

A big blow to Grand Oaks’ effort came in the 13th minute of the first half. A straight red card, while the Grizzlies were on defense, sent a member of the blue and orange brigade to the bench.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Grand Oaks Head Coach Scott Smith talked about compensating for and overcoming the difficulties of being down a man early.

“As coaches, we don’t necessarily plan on being a guy down, but we go through those types of scenarios in practice,” explained Scott. “But even then, the guys adjusted to the changes we made perfectly.”

Now playing a man down, Grand Oaks sat back into a 1-4-4 formation to limit the potential for Conroe counters, but the 11-10 advantage would play into Conroe’s hand for the rest of the match.

Rather than sitting back and relying on the defense to keep the gates closed, the Grizzlies went on the attack and got multiple sound looks at goal.

Grand Oaks utilized a strong counter in the 25th minute to get two consecutive shots at the net, but the Tigers clamped down at the last minute and turned their defensive stand into a push of their own.

A soaring Tiger shot from just inside the box ended in a resounding ping off the crossbar. The Conroe shot on goal was the closest either team had come to putting a shot past the keeper, but the tied zero deadlock remained.

The eventual break Grand Oaks had been looking for came on another strong push toward goal. With 11 minutes left in the first half, a through-ball sent the Grizzlies forward for another attack before a foul inside the box set up a penalty kick.

Aaron Holovaty took full advantage of the opportunity by sending a shot opposite of the Conroe keeper’s dive for the opening goal and a 1-0 Grand Oaks lead.

Conroe’s situation only snowballed against them before the end of the half due to another strong counterattack and push by the Grizzlies into the heart of the Tiger defense.

A great lobbed pass in-between the Conroe defense fell to the boot of Sergio Araoz who took a tap past the opposing keeper before sending another Grand Oaks shot into the back of the net.

The 2-0 Grand Oaks lead was substantial, given the Tigers' added man, but without a strong response to the Grizzly goals, it appeared to have made no difference.

“I’m never going to park the bus. I don’t care how many players we have on the field,” said Scott discussing the defensive focus. “We went two-nil up against The Woodlands and we threw that lead away, going two to two. We went two-nil up against College Park at halftime and we threw that lead away. The boys knew that for a fact we were never going to do that again this season.”

With their backs against the wall and only 40 minutes to erase the deficit, the Tigers had to kick themselves into high gear if they hoped to escape with even a draw.

Multiple thrusts in the first ten minutes of the second half tried to pierce the still venerable Grand Oaks defense. But each time the Tigers were turned away by aired shots or intercepted passes inside the box.

Precious seconds ticked away from Conroe without any sizable momentum to speak of. That was until 23 minutes remaining when a whiffed clearance inside the Grand Oaks box left a pass at Conroe’s Jonatan Librado’s feet.

Librado took a soft touch through a swarm of Grizzly defenders before finding the back of the net for the first Tiger score.

“I didn’t want them to feel so bad about conceding a goal when you already have two yourselves,” said Scott. “It was a mistake, it happens. But keep your cool because we’re still in control.”

Conroe’s pressure did not relent following their much-needed goal. Now down 1-2, the Tigers continued to press against the Grizzlies who remained set in their defensive stance.

Grand Oaks’ best strategy to defend against the offensive press was to clear the ball at any chance they got. While not spurring on counters, the lengthy lobs provided brief moments for the Grizzlies to reset their assignments in the crucial moments.

These breaks, and sound execution down the stretch, gave the Grizzlies enough breathing room to stand their ground and defend the final minutes of play.

Luckily for Grand Oaks, a breakdown in the Conroe backline following a lengthy clearance from the Grizzly defense sealed the deal in the 83rd minute.

A calculated header from Holovaty got past the last tiger defender and the Grand Oaks forward scored on another one-on-one against the keeper.

“Off the ball, on the ball, passion, intelligence, he’s by far one of the best off-the-ball forwards in high school that I’ve ever worked with,” said Scott praising Holovaty. “He’s been the offensive MVP for this program for the last two years and he’s probably going to run on and get it again.”

Holovaty’s second goal reestablished the two-goal Grizzly cushion with seven minutes remaining, effectively ending any hopes Conroe had of completing a comeback.

The final whistle from the referee ended the intense affair in a hard-fought 3-1 Grizzly victory in defense of their home field.

“You have to string results and performances together, but first and foremost its self-belief,” said Scott. “It's good to learn a bit of adversity whether we have a lead or go a goal down.”

The Grizzlies will get a chance to continue their winning ways in a rivalry matchup against the War Eagles on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, the Tigers will have to lick their wounds and square up for a late-night battle with the Willis Wildkats on Saturday.