RHS boys, girls split inaugural soccer game

When Golden Tiger fans think back, years from now, on the inaugural soccer season at Russellville High School, they will likely swell with Golden Tiger pride as they remember how the RHS boys nailed a 4-0 win in their first-ever game.

The Golden Tigers kicked off soccer at RHS in a big way with the win over Haleyville Thursday.

“The boys absolute played outstanding,” said Head Coach Trey Stanford. “We had good ball control and kept pressure on the defense most of the night.”

Junior striker Andy Alonzo scored the first goal in the program’s history in the first half.

“It was a crazy feeling,” Alonzo said. “I didn’t expect it to be me. In the play before that, I tried to pass it to Marvin so he would score.” But with the pass unsuccessful, Alonzo made the shot himself. “As soon as I made it, I turned to my teammates, and there aren’t words to describe how I felt.”

It was a proud moment for the head coach of the fledgling program, as well.

“I was ecstatic when he scored the first goal,” Stanford said. “I was overwhelmed with joy. Honestly it seemed like a weight had been lifted off our team’s shoulders. They had waited so long and the community had waited so long for this to happen, and it’s finally here – it’s finally happening – and you could just feel it.

“The fans in the stadium erupted, everybody was screaming and it was an awesome moment for Russellville Golden Tiger soccer and the Russellville Golden Tiger community.”

Stanford said Alonzo is a strong player for the Golden Tigers. “He is a great young man,” Stanford said. “He plays hard; he cares; and he gives everything he’s got at practice. He wants us to be successful.”

The brand-new program is bursting with talent, including freshmen midfielder Samuel Bahena, senior striker Marvin Betancourt and junior midfielder Cedrick Mojica, who each added a goal to Alonzo’s for the shutout inaugural performance.

“I love all the players that I have,” Stanford said. “They are great individuals, and they care more than you can imagine about the soccer program.”

Stanford said his team nailed strong passing and controlled the ball well, but “we have several things to refine if we plan on being a top tier soccer team,” he added. “We didn’t move to the open spaces as well as I would’ve liked for us to when players didn’t have the ball, and some of our players got lost in the moment a few times.”

Stanford added, “We’ve got to finish open shots if we plan on beating great top-notch programs – you can’t miss wide-open shots: that’s a must.”

Russellville’s girls faced a tough first night on the field, notching a 3-0 loss to the Haleyville Lions. Stanford said he was proud of their effort and saw quick signs of improvement.

“We know where to start now. It gives them an idea on what they need to work on,” Stanford said. “All in all, though, I was impressed with how hard they played and that they battled until the end.”

The Lady Golden Tigers, Stanford added, have some great potential and love for the game.

“Our girls really have to concentrate on working on footwork and control,” Stanford said. “We made a lot of mistakes because of art and experience in the game … We passed a lot of balls into the center on defense, which is a dangerous area to pass the ball into. We have to tighten down our defense a good bit, and they understand that.”

But the coach looks for that exciting first-ever goal from the girls team in the near future. “That will be an awesome moment. They deserve it as much as anyone because they work just as hard.”

Both teams returned to action Tuesday at home against the Tanner Rattlers. Results were not available as of press time. Plenty of opportunities remain to cheer on the RHS soccer program this season.

“This is much bigger than just a soccer game,” Stanford said. “If you were at the game, you can feel it – this is their life. The community cares so much about sports in general, not just soccer, every sport. They love the Russellville Golden Tigers, and now they have their own soccer team they can be proud of.

“I’m excited to see how this year turns out.”