Chiefs chasing Big 9 Title under first year coach
Casey McCarthy/Columbia Basin Herald First-year head coach Derrick Gonzales watches the Chiefs from the sidelines as Moses Lake gears up for another spring season at Lions Field.
Casey McCarthy/Columbia Basin Herald Moses Lake senior Raymundo Curiel (black jersey) makes a move past a pair of Othello defenders at the jamboree at Lions Field on Wednesday. Curiel will look to lead the Chiefs in his final season on the pitch.
Casey McCarthy/Columbia Basin Herald Ethan Bunch and Bryer Knowles come in to defend for Moses Lake at the Basin soccer jamboree at Lions Field on Wednesday afternoon against Othello.
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake boys soccer is ready to make some noise this season in the Columbia Basin Big Nine.
First-year head coach Derrick Gonzales said he has spent a lot of the early time this season learning his players’ tendencies on the field.
“I think a lot of it at first is allowing them to feel they have the confidence to play really well, and providing a structure, as far as the roles, different positions, just adjusting things here and there,” Gonzales said. Gonzales said he wants to make full use of the width of the pitch with his team, focusing everything through an active midfield.
Senior Raymundo Curiel is a midfielder the Moses Lake coach said is a “positive influence” on the team. “The boys look to him for all kinds of encouragement,” Gonzales said. “For him to have that strength of will to tell the boys, ‘this is what needs to be done,’ is incredible. You can already see it in the way he shows up to practice, in his tone during halftime talks, pregame talks.”
The Chiefs coach said Curiel is looking out for his teammates, on and off the field, emotionally and psychologically.
Moses Lake got the chance to face off against different competition at the soccer jamboree at Lions Field on Wednesday, hosting Othello, Ephrata and Quincy. Gonzales said he still remembers the feeling of the opening spring game.
“The sun is out, and your heart is racing, and you’re just ready to play,” Gonzales said. “Getting over that initial excitement, and then channeling that energy into one that is directional and internal, as far as how we want to play and what we want to accomplish, is important early on.”
Gonzales set a lofty goal in his initial season with the Chiefs, claim the CBBN title.
“With what I’ve seen, these boys are totally capable,” Gonzales said. “They have the potential.”
Off the field, the Moses Lake coach said he wants to see his players grow, and prove to themselves they can be successful, even beyond their time at Moses Lake High School.
