DECATUR -- The Decatur High School soccer team continues to struggle defensively as it gets ready to enter the 4A conference race. To help prepare themselves, the Bulldogs played their last warm-up game against the Springdale Bulldogs junior varsity team at Bulldog Stadium in Decatur on March 14.
After the 7-0 loss to the Fayetteville Bulldogs March 11, Barry James, Bulldog soccer coach, decided to move two of his best players, normally forwards, to the defensive line. Luis Ocampo, team captain, and David Lopez, along with Leng Lee and Jafett Puga, managed to aid goal keeper Jimmy Mendoza in fighting off the aggressive offensive style of Springdale.
For most of the first half, Decatur's defense held fast, until a Red Dog player kicked one past Mendoza, putting Springdale on the scoreboard. Mendoza made two more goal-keeping errors in the final minutes of the first half, giving Springdale a 3-0 lead going into the halftime break.
James replaced Mendoza with Sebastian Perez, who managed to stave off several more Red Dog scoring attempts until a penalty kick caused by a bad tackle in the box by Puga gave Springdale its fourth point. A Decatur defensive miscalculation gave Springdale its fifth and final point.
David Lopez scored the only point for the Decatur Bulldogs and the Springdale Bulldogs took the victory, 5 to 1.
"The last goal was just bad defense. But I believe the defense was worn out by then," James said. "But I was very happy with the defense, thought it was our best defensive game."
Just hours before the start of the Bulldogs' conference opener against the Bergman Panthers at Bulldog Stadium on March 18, a series of rainstorms swept through the area. This forced the cancellation of the match, which will be rescheduled for later in the season.
By playing the junior varsity from the top four 6A/7A conference teams in Northwest Arkansas, James was able to find his weaknesses and correct them before the first conference game.
Although the Decatur Bulldogs lost all four games last year, the team went on to the second round of the 4A regional playoffs. Could history repeat itself this season? Bulldog fans will have to wait until March 28, when Decatur travels east to take on the Green Forest Tigers in Green Forest.
Game time will be 5:30 p.m.
For a complete list of Bulldog soccer matches, go to decatursd.com/athletic/soccer schedule.
Sports on 03/23/2016