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Despite having a skilled group of veterans, Carroll boys soccer coach Chris Padilla knew his team needed to change things up a bit to get the most from its attack. In the second half of the season, Padilla implemented a high press, in which the final third would relentlessly attack opposing defenses.
The new strategy paid off, as the Dragons won their final five games — including four district contests — outscoring opponents 22-4 and securing a playoff berth.
“We have very technical, disciplined and coachable players, and whenever we started to install the high press, our boys really took it and ran with it,” says Padilla, in his first season as head coach after serving as a Carroll assistant. “Our offense was just clicking.”
The Dragons (11-7-3), bolstered by the experience of 15 seniors, were led offensively by seniors Corbin Duwe (9 goals, 5 assists), Hayes Buete (9 goals, 3 assists) and Jack Meyer (5 goals, 9 assists), as well as junior Parker Owens (8 goals).
Defensively, senior Scott Mundy served as defensive central midfielder, helping to bring organization to the group. Owens was the center back and a leader who also possessed goal-scoring ability. Senior Adam Paquette started as goalkeeper, providing shot-stopping ability as well as communication for players in front of him. The unit held opponents to 1.2 goals per game.
SEASON RECAP
Sometimes, the team with the superior offensive performance doesn’t win. That’s the lesson the Carroll boys soccer team learned as its season ended in a 2-0 loss to L.D. Bell in the first round of the playoffs.
The Dragons (11-7-3) outshot their opponent 24-7, with 17 shots on goal to Bell’s two shots on goal, but those two shots were the difference in Carroll’s chances to advance.
“It doesn't matter how hard you play if the ball doesn't go in the back of the net,” head coach Chris Padilla says.
Great matchups early in the season are what strengthened Padilla’s players and brought them to the playoffs. Carroll previously defeated 2021 state champ San Antonio Lee during a pre-district showcase, and in District 4-6A, quality opponents such as Byron Nelson (12-7-1), Timber Creek (14-5-3) and Keller (23-3) pushed the Dragons to be their best.
“I think we were playing our best soccer towards the end of the year,” Padilla says. “We had really started to hit our stride and were peaking at the right time.”