Final Week of the Regular Season | Kickin' It With The Wolverines Ep. 8

The Bentonville West girls soccer team has two more regular season games against Fayetteville and Southside before the post season begins. 

Alyssa Orange and head coach Kerry Castillo discuss the 2-2 tie against Bentonville and the 5-1 win over Springdale last week, plus give some love to the senior class with Senior Night coming up on Friday. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Welcome in to kicking it with the Wolverines. I am Melissa Orange as head coach Carrie Castillo and coach it is May. This is it. This is the time. You've got two regular season games left before the postseason gets here, all working up to try to get to Hot Springs and win a state championship. But before we get to that, let's go ahead and go back to the two games that we haven't talked about yet that you guys have played since we have been here last and first and foremost. The game with Bentonville. Man, I was following it. We had a creative there taking video and pictures, keeping us updated on my text thread. And of course, you know, I'm Team Bentonville West. And so um was trying to just see if you guys could could break a tie. And man, another two-two battle with the Tigers.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

It was so close. You know, we were we were up two to one with about 20 minutes left, and then they scored on a corner. And uh, of course, you know, you you can never, you can never count them out or or just lose focus for an instant with a team like that. And so yeah, another draw. Another draw. But we each zero points and it was go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Sure. No, I was gonna say those hard fought battles though, um still walk away with with lessons and still still learn to to get you guys prepped for what could come at you during the postseason.

SPEAKER_00 1:37

Absolutely, yeah. We yeah, we have to play games like that now. Yeah, we want those big moments, it only gets us ready for the postseason. Yeah, I mean it, you know, it it's it's great that we do ties because in my opinion, both teams earn that point, you know. And you know, you walk away and there's a lot to learn still, yeah, you know, from from that game, even though it's a tie. But when you share a point, you can't be really upset. You know, you had chances to win, but uh so did they, you know, they could just say the same thing, and we both get ready for the postseason because of it. So win-win, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 2:15

Yeah, a lot a lot to take away from it, though. I know you'd love a W instead of a T in that column for sure. But you know, as you look at the tape and and the biggest takeaways, um, I think the question might be what is it going to take when it comes down to the postseason and you have to win to advance to win games like that?

SPEAKER_00 2:37

Yeah. Um man, so much. Um a lot of focus. A lot of focus. We have some young players, and and I think the more they're in that big moment, the more they get ready for the next big moment. And so I think that, you know, that's why I love playing that kind of game uh and playing the the opponents we have in the 6A West. Because when we do go to the playoffs, regardless of freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, our players have seen the big moment, they've experienced it, they've played in it, so they're no strangers to it, you know?

SPEAKER_01 3:16

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

And so the the we we just have to learn how to finish that big moment, you know, especially when we're off.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

Yeah, absolutely. And take care of business, which is exactly what you guys did against Springdale, a big 5-1 win. For your girls to just not get too rattled by the situation against Bentonville and that tie two two, and then go in and continue to execute at a very high level against Springdale, is good to see.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

Yeah, it's a quick turnaround. So we played on Tuesday with BHS and then played on Thursday with Springdale, I believe it was. Um yeah, and so no, sorry, we played on Wednesday against BHS, played on Friday against Springdale. So very quick turnaround. And you we couldn't tell a lot of the girls, you know, hey, uh, really sore. It was a really tough game, but they just came out and competed and played at such a high level. Um so so creative in our play and so uh cognizant of what they had to do and patient and created the moments that we needed. Yeah, it was good. We would score more goals on Springdale than I think they've given up all year long and and had even more opportunities to score. Uh, we were able to get everyone off the bench and get them some experience. And it was just a great night. We were, you know, you hear the cliche term hitting on all cylinders, but we were just really were.

SPEAKER_01 4:43

Yeah.

unknown 4:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

And that's good to see. And of course, you talk about being able to put up five uh goals, excuse me, on the Bulldogs. Um, two of them coming from Addy Sharp, two of them coming from Michaela.

SPEAKER_00 4:56

Yeah, those two are creating a relationship with each other where they just always know where the other is and what they're about to do. And some of the passes, and I we put some of these on our social media, some of the passes that they've been making to each other recently, and we don't see it coming. Even the coaches on the sideline, we see it made, and we're like, oh my gosh, that was special, you know. And so it's it's really fun to watch those two work with each other right now, and all of the other pieces around them uh have a hand in the goal. Those two put the final touches on it. And so it's really, you know, you do want to say it's a team effort because it absolutely is, it absolutely is, but those two are just build, I don't know, they they're building that that tandem rapport that you want to see footballers play with, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:50

Yeah, absolutely, especially here in May. How is that gonna be so beneficial for you guys these next couple of weeks?

SPEAKER_00 5:56

Oh gosh, you know, it it means that who do you defend? You know, if you're our opponent and you're playing us, who do you defend first? You know, you you know, the creativity and the quick play of an Addy Sharp or Rihanna, you know, talking about just talking about our front three, uh, or do you try and get somebody to that can try to match the speed that Gala has, you know, and so yeah, it's it it's great, it's a great problem for us.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

Yeah, sure, sure, sure. It's a great problem for the future too, because they're just a sophomore and a freshman, so no, you know, no big deal, right?

SPEAKER_00 6:39

Yeah, right. And then, you know, some of our some of our main assistors and passers are juniors and sophomores, and so we're getting all of those back as well.

SPEAKER_01 6:50

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Now, looking forward to regular season games left in conference play, you have Fayetteville and you have Southside. When you just look about what's in front of you, how important is it as we continue to talk about this? Not necessarily looking at the opponent, but what you guys can continue to do to execute on the pitch.

SPEAKER_00 7:10

Yeah, it's a tough week, you know. Um, not just the games on the field, but it's the seniors last week. We have senior night on Friday, the playoffs are coming up, and you know, so there are so many things that are falling onto the plates of the kids. And so for us as coaches, we have to just keep reminding them that hey, all we have to focus on is today, you know, and when the whistle blows, what are we going to do with that 80 minutes? And to continue to play how we play. It doesn't matter what our opponent does, it doesn't matter, you know, the way the ball is bouncing or the weather conditions, none of that matters if we just play how we can play. And you know, that that gives them something simple to focus on and to be grounded in is okay, this is what we've trained all year long, you know, through the off season, the preseason, and the in season. If I just continue to do this simple, these simple things and work together, yeah, and just focus on this 80 minutes, then tomorrow I can worry about tomorrow. And just that's the that's the big thing for us is just you know taking one step at a time and trying to keep them centered on the main objective. And today it's Fayetteville. We go there tonight.

SPEAKER_01 8:23

So big yeah, you bring up your senior class, sure. And you bring up your senior class. Let's focus on them a little bit because we have done a lot of focusing uh on your playmakers that happen to be underclassmen for the most part. Um, how valuable have they been as you've looked back on the season to just helping continue to maintain that level of excellence and level of expectation with this program?

SPEAKER_00 8:50

I I love this senior class. Uh, they are such great supporters of one another, of one another. Whether they're on the field or on the sideline, we had a couple of seniors come in uh versus Springdale and make a couple of assists with some great play there uh of their own. And and but when they weren't in, they're busy leading the sideline, you know, and encouraging those who are on the field. And so they've been so the invaluable that there's no way to express really how valuable they have been uh all year long, um, just even throughout the off season and as the season has come and keeping everyone focused on what our main objectives are, and you know, the and primarily we had a one major cultural objective to meet, and that was the and the girls came up with this on their own is to create a sisterhood, and they did that early, and they have just continued to let that flourish and help one another to help that flourish. And so that's you know, that to me is the most important thing. Winning is that's fun, and playoffs and all that is fun, but you know, those the life lessons that they'll take away and the leadership that they have demonstrated, that's the most important thing, in my opinion. And they there's no way to measure how valuable that our senior class has been when it comes to that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:22

Is is is senior night gonna be against Southside?

SPEAKER_00 10:26

Is that correct?

SPEAKER_01 10:28

Yeah, okay. What uh what's that gonna be like, you think, for them to play their final regular season um game in front of a home crowd?

SPEAKER_00 10:38

I I can't um it's hard for me to wrap my mind around that. Uh one of my daughter is one is one of the seniors, you know, and so it is going to be a little special for you. That's gonna be very hard. It's gonna be very difficult, you know. So we're you know, I I we rode home together after the Springdale game, and it dawned on me I'll only get one more of these, you know, riding home from from the home game, uh, just talking about the game and how much fun she had and things like that. And so yeah. Um I hope, I hope that the environment we create all the time, but especially that night, and as we celebrate them, I hope that they soak it in, that they're not consumed by the end of something, but rather everything that it gave them. Yeah. Yeah. That's hope for them. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

That's awesome. We mentioned at the top of the show it's May. How does your mentality change at all in this month, knowing that obviously it's the end of the regular season, the postseason is looming, and obviously it's all leading up to what could be a trip to Hunt Springs Memorial Day weekend.

SPEAKER_00 11:51

Yeah. Um, you know, with with the kids, and and we we're just as guilty, the coaches, we start looking at what's the other side of the state doing and what are the seatings and what does the tournament bracket look like. And I actually had a bracket on my desk, and I took it Friday, I took it and I crumpled it up and I threw it away. So I'm like, I don't need to be looking at that and thinking about that right now. And even when that time comes, I don't want to have a mentality where I'm just constantly looking at it. And so we we've tried to focus as a staff and to help the kids focus on let's just worry about what we do. If we do what we're supposed to do, how we can do it and do it together, then everything will be just fine. And so that's that's where we're trying to keep ourselves, you know, steering is into it with that pathway and that mentality is if we do what we're supposed to do, then we'll end up where we want to be. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

With two more regular season games left, as we've mentioned, what's what's been your favorite part of the season so far of the regular season?

SPEAKER_00 12:58

Of the regular season, watching them grow, watching them every single day get better. It's that's the that's so rewarding, and not just not just um on the field as far as the tactics go and seeing, you know, we've charted uh every game how much how many more uh goal opportunities we're creating inside the inside the penalty area and things like that. And we show them that as a metric, like look how much more you're creating, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. But that's just a symptom of how they continue to develop every day. That's the the most fun for me, and the most rewarding part is is to you can see it every day, just it's minute, you know. But we tell them just keep stacking good days, keep stacking good days on top of each other, you know. And so that to me, that's the most rewarding part. It really is. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

Well, you can see it in your face and hear it in your voice. So let's lead that straight into our favorite time of these podcasts and conversations, is our feel-good moment of the week. What you got for me, coach?

SPEAKER_00 14:02

No, and so keeping in mind with with that and and the development aspect, um, we were up four to one on Springdale Friday, and there we have a freshman on on our varsity team that she doesn't we don't get to get her into games as much as we'd like to, just because in 6A West, the moment is usually really big, you know. But we've been playing her on the ninth grade team and the varsity team to develop her because we know the kid has all of the intangibles to be extremely good, an extremely good player. And so we just wanted her to keep developing and get more game time and more game time so that you know, maybe her sophomore year, she can be starting or coming off the bench and helping us score goals uh on a regular basis. And so this kid has just every time we ask her to play, she's yes, sir, I want to play, and is she worked so hard in training and in games, and she's been scoring a lot of goals in in ninth and JV. And so we put her in against Springdale late in the game, and sure enough, she got loose and scored a goal. Annabella Foster. So, yes, A B, high five, A B. She she earned it, and just the look on that kid's face and the sideline went crazy. They went crazy for her, and so yeah, that was it, it was so rewarding for her, it's so rewarding for for us to see her experience the fruit of her hard work.

SPEAKER_01 15:43

Sure, yeah, that's awesome. I I love moments like that. I love it, I love it. Hopefully, you have a little bit more of those moments as the rest of the season. Uh, regular season kind of comes to a close and the postseason rolls on again. Games against Fayetteville and Southside coming up to round out the regular season. While we have the platform coach, why should people come watch you guys?

SPEAKER_00 16:04

We're exciting. Uh we are, I mean, it's we're we're an exciting team to watch play. We're dynamic, explosive, and the way we score goals is it's fast-paced and uh we defend hard. It's uh sometimes it looks like uh demolition derby. And so it's it's explosive. It can be violent, but it's beautiful at the same time. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:28

That's awesome. Get out there to the soccer pitch, catch some Bentonville West soccer while you can. Coach, always thank you for the time. Always great to have you. Thank you guys for joining us here on Kicking It with the Wolverines as we've been able to cover the Bentonville West girls' soccer team throughout the season, and so much more to talk about in the coming weeks as well. I'm Melissa Orange, he is Carrie Castillo, and we will see you next time.