Determined Atwater focuses on task at hand in soccer playoffs

Regardless of age or experience, it’s tough not to look ahead in a playoff bracket.

It’s particularly difficult for teams with ambition, like Atwater High School’s boys soccer team, for which anything short of a Sac-Joaquin Section title will be a disappointment. Throw in the dream rematch with No. 2 seed Jesuit lingering in the semifinals, and you’d have trouble faulting the No. 3 Falcons for doing a little peeking ahead in the Division I playoffs.

Atwater coach Jimmy Brewer isn’t particularly concerned about the Falcons’ first-round opponent being overlooked, however. Facing an almost identical scenario to last season’s playoff opener, Brewer is confident the lessons learned from 2-1 first-round escape against Grace Davis have been hammered home with his team.

“We’ve been talking all week about how we can’t be (too) confident,” Atwater sweeper Alex Rios said. “It doesn’t matter that we beat Gregori 4-1 earlier in the year. Grace Davis came out much stronger than the first time we played them and gave us trouble. We went behind in that game and had to fight back.

“A lot can happen in a couple months. They could be a very different team, so we won’t be taking anything for granted.”

The Falcons (22-1-4) were pretty much playoff novices a year ago, with only a handful of players having experienced a taste of the postseason in their freshman season. Brewer has 14 players back from last year’s team that was ousted in the Division II semifinals, all focused on reaching the championship game that eluded them a year ago.

Atwater likely will have a tougher road to that game, playing in Division I this season because it won the Division I Central California Conference. The first obstacle is No. 14 Gregori (11-7-3). The teams square off at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Falcon Field.

“We’ve known we’d be going D-I for a while,” Brewer said. “When it started to look like we’d win league, we looked at all of the scenarios. I know the kids are excited for the challenge. If we can win a couple games, they’re particularly looking forward to a possible rematch with Jesuit in the semifinals.”

Jesuit defeated the Falcons 3-0 on Oct. 23.

“I know a 3-0 scoreline doesn’t make it seem like it, but that was a very competitive match, and we felt like we outplayed them for long stretches,” Brewer said. “I think the three seed is an appropriate spot for us, and hopefully, we can take advantage of it.”

Atwater is one of eight local teams to make the playoffs, four of which play today. In Division II, No. 9 Golden Valley travels to No. 8 Tracy for a 3 p.m. tilt, and No. 14 Merced travels to Elk Grove to meet No. 3 Cosumnes Oaks at 6:30 p.m. in a rematch of last year’s D-II semifinal.

In Division IV, No. 5 Pacheco will make its first playoff appearance, hosting No. 12 Dixon at 6:30 p.m. at Veterans Stadium.

Other area teams start Thursday with No. 3 Livingston hosting the Sierra/Lindhurst winner in Division IV, No. 7 Delhi at No. 2 Escalon in Division V, and No. 1 Hilmar and No. 3 Gustine at home in Division VI, Hilmar against No. 8 Millennium, and Gustine vs. No. 6 Bradshaw Christian.

“Everybody knows that one loss and your season is over, so you tend to get the very best out of teams in the playoffs,” Brewer said. “You have to be ready to play from the opening whistle. It’s definitely important to play well early. If that means scoring a couple goals, great, but you really just want to set the tone.

“The worst-case scenario is falling behind early and having someone just park the bus in front of their goal. It’s kind of what Vintage did against us last year, and they were able to just hold on. But that’s sometimes what you have to do. It doesn’t matter if you win pretty. Right now, you’re just trying to move on any way you can.”

This story was originally published November 2, 2015 at 7:55 PM with the headline "Determined Atwater focuses on task at hand in soccer playoffs."