NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR
A new coach is in charge on the sidelines for Sharyland High girls soccer, but expectations won’t budge. The Rattlers always aim to be the class of District 31-5A and a tough out in the postseason.
Mario Ribera is a seasoned veteran when it comes to cultivating and kick-starting soccer programs in the area.
He coached the first girls team at Mission Veterans in the early 2000s and made the Patriots a playoff contender. Then he was the bench boss of the first varsity boys team at La Joya Palmview, coaching five playoff teams since 2009.
Now, Ribera will have the opportunity to join a program with an established pedigree and a winning tradition.
“My goal was always to move to a program where I could be able to make a difference,” Ribera said. “As people know, Sharyland has a well-developed tradition of winning. I was very lucky to be chosen by the district to be in charge of the girls team.”
Ribera said the transition from former head coach Aaron Clemons, who is stepping away to coach his child in track, came with a few bumps.
While some of the younger, sub-varsity players didn’t take well to the new coach, most remain and are fully on board with the winning mission. Offensive leader and one of the most dangerous scorers in the Valley, Kaitie Watson, said everything has been smoothed out.
“We’ve adjusted to the change in coaching styles,” Watson said. “I guess we’re changing the way we play a little bit, and he’s helping. He’s fitting well with our team, and we’re fitting well with him.”
Watson was quick to mention the desire to right wrongs from last year’s finish — a first-round playoff exit after a district title.
“I think we’re really excited this year since we went out really early last year,” Watson said. “For me, personally, it’s my senior year, so I’m extra excited, because it’s the last time for me. I think me and Elise (Townsend) are bringing that assignment to the team, being the few seniors that are on the team. Everyone’s just being motivated, especially with a new coach.”
Watson is no stranger to accolades for her play, earning The Monitor’s All-Area Newcomer of the Year and Player of the Year honors so far in her three years. What is new to Watson is being an elder statesmen on the roster. She’s part of a small senior group tasked with leading the young team.
“Since it’s just me and Elise, it’s more of a focus group they can look to,” Watson said. “It’s more personalized, so they can come to us, and we’re just really here for them. I think we take them under our wings. We’re like a family. We really mesh, and me and Elise are like the mothers.”
Townsend is back on the pitch after a strong finish to her volleyball career. The defender is hoping her senior season is more painless than her injury-plagued junior year.
Townsend is a fan of the emphasis on short passes and keeping her team on the ball rather than relying on a speedy run after a long pass.
“(Ribera is) bringing a lot of new opportunities, and he’s kind of shaping our style of play into a more controlled way,” Townsend said. “We’re controlling the field and the game better and more dominantly, I guess you could say. It increases the speed of the game, and it makes it harder for the other team to keep up with it.”
Watson also had praise for the shift in philosophy.
“We’re definitely focusing more on a possession-wise game, so we’re passing a little bit more instead of running a long ball all the time,” Watson said. “It makes us have to play more close-knit and fast-paced, and I think that’s not something that’s very common down here in girls soccer, so I think it will help us dominate teams better.”
Watson believes this style of soccer can lead to scoring.
“You just look for really quick passes and little bursts of greatness, and the moments where you can attack fast,” Watson said.
Sharyland is also hoping to get a spark from some of its younger varsity players. One of those players who can bring a “burst of greatness” is freshman Xochitl Nguma. She’s part of a group of four freshmen hoping to make an immediate impact for the Rattlers, along with Alejandra Garcia, Pamela Sanchez and the coach’s daughter, Chloe Ribera.
“It’s super exciting, and I’m very grateful, because it’s not every day where you get a team where kids already know how to play,” Nguma said. “You have more chances on scoring, and you just feel more of a team than by yourself.”
Nguma is the same age as Chloe Ribera and had played on the same club teams, so she had crossed paths with her new coach before — just another reason the transition could be a fruitful one.
“I’m just out here to play the game, especially because I’ve met this coach before and I know how kind of things go,” Nguma said. “So it doesn’t intimidate me at all.”