Gateway boys soccer learning from tough season

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, October 6, 2018 | 10:36 PM

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The Gateway boys soccer team has been meeting the standard all season. The only problem has been in the handshake line at the end of matches.

The talented, young Gators were given no favors to start the season. Gateway played the top three teams in Class AAA right out of the gate, got banged around in a tough section but will be better for it in the end.

“Ostensibly, it’s been a bad season, but in reality, there’s been a massive base being built for this program,” Gateway coach Bernie Stiles said. “We’re not playing your average teams, and that kind of hurts you. It’s hard for the psyche when you’re working with teenagers.”

Last Monday’s 4-0 Section 4-AAA loss to Thomas Jefferson (8-3-1, 7-2-1) effectively eliminated Gateway (3-12, 1-9) from the playoffs. The finish marks the second season in a row the Gators will be absent from the postseason bracket.

“A lot of the time, the difficult thing with a team that loses is to not let that become the identity of the team,” Stiles said. “It’s important to not let that be the standard.”

And that’s where the Gators are: creating a standard. With each loss this season, Gateway has taken one step closer to developing its own.

Stiles, who is in his second season, has put the scheme in place. All the Gators need to do is grow into it. Stiles hasn’t set any goals for his team as the season winds down. He’s looking for his players to continue a transformation, cop an attitude and play with a chip on their shoulders.

“The intensity level can be a culture, and we just have to train at a higher level of focus and intensity,” Stiles said. “In a coaching cycle, I’m gonna learn more from a loss than I will from a win.”

Starting eight sophomores and freshmen almost always comes with growing pains. Although Gateway has plenty of cup soccer players and others who play in recreational leagues, the jump to varsity can be challenging and humbling.

“I think what all the players learned is that this level is harder than some people thought,” Stiles said. “One thing that happens when you get to high school, college, or even the pros, is that you’re not the best on the field anymore.”

Despite the lopsided scores in some games, Gateway has been in most of its matches going into halftime. One of the most common downfalls with a young team is consistency.

“The problem is, you have to put it together for 80 minutes,” Stiles said.

Stiles has made tweaks along the way. They’ve gone back to the basics, made a few changes to the lineup and had discussions about staying on track with game plans. It’s an effort to drive home what’s important: details.

“Right now, we’re in moments of thought, where we should be in moments of habit,” Stiles said. “Confidence in high school is such a huge thing. The first goal in a high school soccer game matters more in high school than it does at any other level.”

Difficult times will always reveal leaders, and the Gators are no exception. The Gators’ future leaders already have made their presence known. Sophomores AJ Brown, Alex Gutierrez and Sam Alexander are making their voices heard.

“In these situations, leaders emerge and followers sort of fade off,” Stiles said.

Sophomore Matthew Murphy leads the Gators in goals (three) and assists (four) through 14 games.

“This is how I know we’re gonna be great at some point because the bench gets excited when we make a play,” Stiles said. “The problem is that those moments are few and far between.”

William Whalen is a freelance writer.

Tags: Gateway