Feel The Heat

PRESCOTT - The pressure is on.

Just more than two years into their successful combine soccer program, the Waitsburg- Prescott Tigers are now the state's defending champions.

The young team famously beat the Providence Highland­ers to win the state 1B/2B crown and bring it home to Prescott late last year.

"Every game's going to be harder (this year)," head coach Mark Grimm said. "Everyone wants to take down no. 1."

The Tigers, now going into their third year as a soccer power, will have to take on the league without the likes of ace goalie Pedro Mendoza, de­fender Kevin Ortega and mid fielder/striker Francisco Gon­zalez, the departing seniors. But that prospect doesn't stir panic in the ranks.

Grimm, who will be sup­ported again by assistant coach Jay Potts, said the 2012 roster of more than 20 players shows plenty of depth and talent to withstand challengers. The returning juniors, who will now be seniors, include such talented players as striker Lino Diaz, mid winger Aldair Es­calante and striker Luis Torres Escalante, not to mention Gabe Escalante, Jesse Albarran and Liz Xaudaro.

Grimm, who says he has a whole new respect for the sport of soccer after his first year as a head coach and has become an avid follower of the game on television, is also eyeing sev­Tigers eral sophomore and freshmen players who look promising. The freshmen include Rodrigo Gonzalez, Luis Garcia and Alberto Mendez and possibly Emmit Wilson and Armando Iglesias.

Most Tigers come from Prescott and Vista Hermosa, but at least three players will join the team from Waitsburg: Emily Wilson, Xaudaro and, for the first time this year, freshman Trey Potts.

"It's my goal to get them in shape, get them to play as a team and have fun," Grimm said. "Whatever happens on the scoreboard happens."

That may sound detached. But rest assured, Grimm is not. A state championship may be a hard act to follow, but the coach is confident and optimis­tic the Tigers will do well again this year.

If he and assistant coach Potts can help the team de­velop the kind of chemistry on the field that allows for selfless teamwork rather than sojourns down the stretch, the score­board likely will light up in the Tigers' favor, he said.

The fact that most of the players have grown up together and play club soccer together is a big advantage, Grimm added.

As in previous years, the Tigers will face the tough- playing St. George from Spo­kane. A new force in the divi­sion is Valley Christian from Spokane, which is fielding a soccer team for the first time this season.

The one thing Grimm wants to watch out for is the more experienced players' tendency to hang back and defend the lead. Though he has been inspired by defending world champion Spain's tight and patient soccer style that avoids risky long plays and waits for scoring opportunities, Grimm wants his players to be asser­tive up front.

What Grimm admires about a team like Spain is its superior ball control and mutual trust among the players. Those fac­tors, combined with the heart the Tigers have already found in their game would go a long way towards a successful sea­son if the Tigers can hone in on them.

The Tigers' first game is on Saturday, Sept. 8, when the team plays Moses Lake Chris­tian Academy at Moses Lake. Kickoff is at noon.

WP Soccer Roster 2012

Seniors

Aldair Escalante

Lino Diaz

Luis Torres-Escalante

Gabe Escalante

Jesse Albarran

Liz Xaudaro

Juniors

Abraham Sanchez

Enrique Balderas

Alberto Sandoval

Emily Wilson

Sophomores

Ernesto Valdovinos

Jose Paniagua

Carlos Sandoval

Jonny Escalante

Sergio Gonzalez

Paul Zamora

Oscar Villalvazo

Trey Potts

Freshmen

Rodrigo Gonzalez

Armando Iglesias

Emmit Wilson

Alberto Mendez

Luis Garcia