Texas High School Soccer: Precision Passers to Watch
Football lovers sit awestruck every week when witnessing a magisterial strike, yet all too often we forget about the player that had the ability to put the ball in that position in the first place. These players utilize their selflessness…
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Continue ReadingFootball lovers sit awestruck every week when witnessing a magisterial strike, yet all too often we forget about the player that had the ability to put the ball in that position in the first place. These players utilize their selflessness to push their teams towards success and ultimately provide their teammates with the ability to find glory during each match. Without players willing to distribute and provide opportunity, the number of chances for a team to win during a Texas high school soccer match would drastically fall.
In Texas high school soccer there are countless players that have built careers off of their ability to play the perfectly weighted ball into space or pick out their man at the end of a cross. Unfortunately, a lot of these individuals find themselves with less attention towards their distributing gifts when compared to others that put points on the board. While scouts and coaches will always look to increase the number of finishers on their rosters, they would be shortsighted to forget about the players that give their finishers the balls to finish in the first place.
Below are some of the most exciting passers and contributors in all of Texas high school soccer.
Sebastian Ruben Esparza
Sebastian Ruben Esparza
Initial Thoughts:rnSebastian Ruben Esparza, or simply Ruben Esparza, is a unicorn. He is one of the players that perfectly balances his ability to both score goals and contribute assist. He has exceptional ability on the ball and his intelligence in the game sets him apart from the masses. I really enjoy what I saw from him during his 22-23 season and absolutely cannot wait to see what he produces going forward.
Size Profile:rnEsparza has a fantastic “soccer build” at 5’9. He moves well on and off the ball, and possesses the strength needed to body his way through an opposing defense in order to get into a position to contribute to his team. He’s listed as a multi-positional winger, striker and midfielder but I personally believe he would be the most useful to a competitive squad in the midfield due to his size.
Skill Set:rnEsparza’s positional play is extraordinary and helps boost his overall skill set. He has solid touch on the ball and can control the space around him with the ball at his feet. He doesn’t seem bothered by pressure on his back and when he gets into space he likes to have go on goal. One aspect of his game that is of high interest to someone like myself, is his ability to raise his head and find his teammates in positive attacking positions. This x-factor is one of the many reasons that Esparza has found so much success in his young career.
Attacking Preference:rnEsparza is clearly gifted in the attacking aspect of the game. He finished his 2022-23 campaign with an astonishing 34 goals and 29 assist in only 23 games. That is 63 direct goal contributions on the year and that doesn’t even include the various other secondary passes he created in order to provide his team chances on goal. Esparza often times receives the ball on his inside leg before making a split-second decision to lay the ball off with a perfectly weighted ball at the feet of his teammates. Goal after goal came from this same exact swift decision making.
Final Thoughts:rnRuben Esparza is a next level player and he’s still early into his young career. He has the quick reflexes and intelligence needed to play at the next level and I can already see him finding success as he moves further into his career. I would love to see if Esparza can carry this success over into the 23-24 campaign and produce similar numbers as he did last year. 29 assist may be hard to reproduce, but if Esparza manages to do so, he’d be one of the most successful players in Texas high school history.
Jaime Martinez
Jaime Martinez
Initial Thoughts:rnAt first glance it is obvious that Jaime Martinez is an extremely talented player. He moves through the opposing teams defensive positions with precision and speed, giving him the space needed to move the ball wherever he pleases. I really enjoy the ferociousness with which he tackles in order to win the ball, there is never a moment where he looks as if he’s given up on the play. A player as involved as Martinez is surely going to contribute to any program that he’s competing on.
Size Profile:rnJaime Martinez is a skinny player, however that has nothing to do with the strength and intensity which he plays with. He is consistently using his body to win the ball and maintain possession. Martinez will run down an opposing player before lunging into a hard tackle in order to stop the attack and win possession.
Skill Set:rnMartinez is very good in open space but his true ability can be seen when there are opposing players closing in on him. Martinez will feint to throw off the initial opposing defender, before then somehow levitating the ball above the challenge of the next defender. Once he’s past the initial assault he flies down the touchline and cuts onto the byline before laying it off for the perfect finish by his teammate. It’s truly magical to see a player play with such confidence and belief in themselves.
Attacking Preference:rnI could write about the attacking preferences and defensive preferences of a player like Martinez all day but let me summarize by saying this- if you want to win, get this kid on the field. He can cut into the middle of the field and fire off a powerful shot, or use his blistering pace to beat the fastest defensemen in a footrace down the touchline. If your team happens to lose possession, he’ll fly back into his defensive shape and make goal saving tackles at any means necessary. Jaime Martinez puts on motivating performances and his 19 assist in the 2022-23 campaign are just the tip of the iceberg.
Final Thoughts:rnIt has been a pleasure to study and observe a player like Jaime Martinez so early into his career. He has an eye for the game and truly represents Texas high school soccer with class. I believe that given time, Martinez will develop into an exceptional player at the next level and should be watched very closely over his senior year. Martinez could truly play anywhere on the pitch, however I would be curious to see how he could handle a more distributive and defensive role within the midfield.
Thaddeus Heckman
Thaddeus Heckman
Initial Thoughts:rnThaddeus Heckman is a player that any coach or scout would want for their program. The standout from Salado finished his 2021-22 season with 55 goals and 21 assist, and if that wasn’t already impressive enough, added another 38 goals and 18 assist during his junior campaign. Simply put, Heckman seems to be on one of the best runs of form in Texas high school soccer history.
Size Profile:rnHeckman comes in at 5’9 and is averagely built in comparison to other players his age. He’s quick off the ball and is usually first to any tackle that he involves himself in. When moving into tight spaces, Heckman is agile and shows great balance to hold off opposing players and win his space. With a strong offseason, his senior year is truly going to push him to the next level.
Skill Set:rnHeckman understands space very well and uses his opponents momentum to pull them into no-mans land before cutting back and finding the ball in open space. Often times Heckman will feint towards the opposing teams goal and then pull off the back shoulder of the defender to take the ball towards the byline and obtain an open shot on net. Heckman also has a soft enough touch to dictate where he wants the ball as he begins his attack. Every little move he makes on the ball is calculated and oftentimes leads him into a more advantageous position.
Attacking Preference:rnThaddeus Heckman has directly contributed 132 goals for his program in only 44 games at the varsity level. As one of the best attackers in Texas high school soccer, it’s safe to say that he’s fairly dynamic when it comes to the attacking third. Heckman doesn’t do the same thing all the time but his common attacking preferences would be to feint his opposition away and pull the defender out of position in order to open up the shooting lanes for his teammates and himself. On occasion he even catches his opponent on the break, before using feints to finish on net.
Final Thoughts:rnThaddeus Heckman is very consistent talent at the Texas high school soccer level. I believe he has all the intangibles to play at the next level and honestly, find his assist numbers as the signs for that. Scoring 93 goals is without a doubt a challenging task, and I’m sure he would score quite a bit at the collegiate level, but his 39 assist will get him through any growing pains when playing against tougher competition. The ability to contribute to ones team in multiple ways is a gift for both coach and player. This style of contribution gives the player the confidence to continue on and allows the opportunity for the coach to send some grace their way during hard times.
Look for Heckman to continue his fine form during his senior campaign, maybe he could even hit the 150 goal mark for his high school career.
The perfect shot and game winning goal is the dream of countless footballers around the globe. Players train tirelessly on finishing in close spaces, from distance and in high pressure situations. However, it is easy to forget about the teammate that made a daring run through the oppositions lines, weaving and dodging tackles in order to maintain possession. These athletes have the brilliance to do their job, all while having the courage to look up to find the open man. Selflessly and honorably releasing the ball at the perfect moment in order to give their teammates a shot at glory. These are the players that we cannot forget and we must remember, because without them, there would be no game winning goals or celebrations. Without our precision passers, our ambitious attackers would be nothing more than statues waiting for a purpose.