LAKEPORT — From playing in 100-degree heat only a few weeks ago to finishing their season on their rain-soaked home turf Tuesday afternoon against the Fort Bragg Timberwolves, the Clear Lake High School co-ed soccer team completed its 2021 schedule with a 1-0 loss in North Central League I boys action at Lakeport.
“The rain quit by the second half but it was cold,” Clear Lake co-head coach Kevin O’Brien said.
Fort Bragg’s goal came in the opening minutes of the second half and was enough to get the Timberwolves a victory.
“We never looked really threatening today,” O’Brien said of Clear Lake’s offense. “We were missing something … unfortunately. It’s not the way we wanted to end it.”
Clear Lake almost didn’t have a soccer season this year. Neither the boys or girls teams had enough players to keep going by the time league play arrived in late August, so rather than scrap both seasons the boys and girls combined into a co-ed squad that would compete against other NCL I boys teams. It wasn’t an ideal situation as some of the girls opted not to continue, but it was better than nothing, according to O’Brien.
“It’s better than not having a season,” O’Brien said. “It definitely had its moments, but it was still a fun season. We did really have a good time.”
Added O’Brien, “I feel for my seniors because it’s not the way I wanted to see them go out. Hopefully they had some fun.”
Clear Lake will go back to separate boys and girls teams in 2022 if enough players go out, which remains to be seen.
“I really hope it was a COVID hangover thing,” O’Brien said of the low player numbers this season. “Hopefully we get the numbers and can get two teams going again,” O’Brien added.
