RHS soccer boys roll to 3-0 start
By Kim West for the FCT
Go ahead and call the Russellville boys soccer team party crashers.
It’s not unusual for first-year boys teams to win games and even qualify for the playoffs. But the undefeated Golden Tigers have reeled off three convincing wins in their first three games, including their first league victory in Class 4A-5A, Area 16. They have tallied 16 goals while conceding only one goal and dominating time of possession.
“Our boys have great footwork. They’re passing really well, and we’ve shot the ball well. They’ve done a great job controlling the game,” Russellville Head Coach Trey Stanford said.
After opening the season with a dynamic 4-0 win at home against Haleyville, Russellville entered Week 2 with a much-anticipated matchup against the Tanner Rattlers Feb. 21 and an area matchup against the Ardmore Tigers Feb. 24. Amid a chilly drizzle, Russellville’s multi-faceted attack overwhelmed the Rattlers 5-1 on a first-half shot from Jorge Bahena, a Samuel Bahena goal off an Andy Alonso assist in the 46th minute and a marvelous hat trick by senior striker Marvin Betancourt, who rung up all three goals in a 15-minute span in the second half.
In their first area match, the Golden Tigers nursed a 1-0 halftime lead on a Samuel Bahena header, exploding for six second-half goals to put away Ardmore (1-2, 1-1 Area 16). Betancourt notched two goals to boost his team-leading total to six, while Alonso, Daniel Carranza and Andy Alvarez scored one apiece. Samuel Bahena found the back of the net again in the second half for his fourth goal this season.
Defensively, starting goalkeeper Jesus Betancourt, backup keeper Derian Arzola-Lopez, center backs Kevin Salgado and Andy Alvarez and outside backs Kenner Perez and Jorge Flores have not yielded a goal in 240 minutes of field action. The single goal allowed came on an Alex Ramos penalty kick for Tanner.
In addition to the scoring onslaught and stingy defense, Stanford praised the play of his midfielders. Among them, Carranza has turned heads for his sublime ability to possess the ball in traffic and trigger counterattacks with instinctual passing and movement off the ball.
“Daniel Carranza controls the ball well and makes people make mistakes. He makes great passes, his footwork is unbelievable and he’s a very smart player,” Stanford said. “He does some things you can’t teach. He has the ‘it’ factor.”
Russellville is scheduled to play Athens, Albertville and Muscle Shoals in the River City Shootout Friday and Saturday at the Jack Allen Recreation Complex in Decatur. The tournament draws top-level teams mixed in with midrange schools that prefer playing closer to home.
“It’s not feasible to drive so far to play top-notch teams one at a time with the cost of travel. With us playing in this tournament, it gives us the opportunity to play these top-notch programs and a chance to find out if we’re as good we think we are or if we have to work on certain things,” Stanford said.
The Golden Tigers will return home Monday to play Muscle Shoals at 5 p.m., followed by road trips to Ardmore March 7 and Mars Hill March 13.
