Angleton boys’ soccer coach Frank Echartea’s tweaks have led to an avalanche of success for his streaking Wildcats.
“We’re finding a way to win all the close games we lost last year,” Echartea told Texas Scorecard in the midst of his team’s three-game winning streak and overall 6-2, 3-0 5A Region III District 24 start. “We’ve still got a long way to go to be where we want to be, but it’s clear that we’re making strides towards making sure we get there.”
The Wildcats’ rise has been synonymous with the hot streak of junior forward Oscar Martinez, who has bagged seven goals in the team’s last three games.
“After the first few games, we tweaked the offense to get the ball to our forwards in a position to score and Oscar has really capitalized on that,” Echartea added. “He’s left footed, and with his deceptive speed that makes him really dangerous. He just lulls defenses to sleep, then takes off, leaving them grasping for air and trying to catch up.”
Echartea said even as the Wildcats have battled through injury, their progress has been easy to see, with the senior quartet of Kobe Brodie, Dylan Hansen, James Blanco and Juan-Carlos Bunpello setting the standard for everyone around them.
“We’re definitely a playoff-caliber team, one you can see in the regional tournament and beyond,” Echartea added. “There’s a lot of dust still yet to settle, but that’s what we’re shooting for.”
Echartea adds it’s all been a work in progress for the upstart program.
“We’ve got a new weight trainer doing a great job with the guys this year getting them stronger and more prepared than ever before,” he said. “We’re a little quicker, a little faster and it’s all making a difference for us from last season to this one.”
