At 4-4-1 under first-year head coach Madison Wood, Rudder has a better record than it did at this time last season. Now in her third season with the program, Wood says she’s already feeling the effects of moving from assistant coach to woman in charge.
“I have 50 more gray hairs and way less sleep, but I’m really enjoying it,“ Wood said with a laugh.
Rudder added a couple of freshmen and sophomores to the team to compliment veterans like team captains Destiny De Luna and Kaylee Anzualda. The Lady Rangers also gained more experience and perspective during the offseason through club play.
“This year we had some girls take advantage of the offseason, take advantage of their club season,” Wood said. “They came in with a lot more experience and a lot more knowledge. We’re upping our expectations of them this year, so that they can remain challenged and can keep learning.”
Possibly the most important lesson learned this season for the Lady Rangers is improving their possession game. Wood said rushing to score a goal has been a problem for the team throughout the years, but so far this season, Rudder is showing more patience and learning to wait for the right opportunity to strike.
“We move the ball a lot better than we have the last two years,” Wood said. “We’re not so focused on just moving up and down. It’s okay to drop it back and to switch the field and zig-zag and ping the ball around.”
While the Lady Rangers are working hard to learn how to slow down, Wood says they’re having no trouble getting up for matches.
“One thing I love about this team is how intense they are and how close they are,” Wood said. “The eye contact that they make, you can feel it. They want it so bad, which makes it really fun to coach them.”
Assistant coach Willie Martinez agrees with Wood, calling the team chemistry a coach’s dream.
“The girls are playing well,” Martinez said. “They communicate. The continuity is there, and that’s something that you want to build as a team. They’re receptive to the new coach and new ideas, new formations. They’ve bought into the program and Coach Wood’s ideas.”
District 19-5A play is on the horizon for Rudder with a road match at Waller up first on Jan. 24. Its schedule will continue with College Station, Magnolia West, A&M Consolidated, Magnolia, Brenham and Katy Paetow before hosting Waller on Feb. 18 to start the second half of district play. The Lady Rangers will have a week off after playing Magnolia on March 6 and will return to a normal schedule on March 17 against Brenham, before closing out the regular season with Katy Paetow on March 20.
Rudder went 6-11-4 overall last season and 4-7-2 in district, missing out on the playoffs. Like with any team, the Lady Rangers have their sights set on a postseason berth, but for now, they’re trying to take things day-by-day.
“We have all of the talent to get us there. It’s just going to be a matter of staying healthy, peaking and making the right plays at the right times,” Wood said. “I’m really trying to stay focused on one day at a... Click here to read full article
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