Buchholz Boys Soccer Rolls To 6–0 Opening Win

Buchholz didn’t hold back in its boys soccer season opener. The Bobcats pressed from the opening whistle, scored four goals in the first half and cruised to a 6–0 win against Eastside on a cold Monday night at Jonesville Park.

Buchholz’s intention was clear from the start: to build on last year’s 3–0 victory with an even louder statement and a season full of high expectations.

The first chance of the game came at eight minutes, when a long throw required a top save by the Rams’ goalkeeper. On the next possession, a short clearance fell to junior midfielder Daniel Prieto, who struck a first-time volley for the first of the night.

Three minutes later, a free kick deflected off the wall, and Thomas Ortiz capitalized on the rebound for his first of two goals, as the Bobcats’ high press disrupted Eastside’s buildup.

“When my teammate took the free kick, I felt it would hit the wall,” Ortiz said. “I got close to it, the ball bounced to me and I shot as quickly as I could. It was pure instinct — we practice hard every day for moments like this.”

Forward Carlos Cadet made it 3–0 with a thunderous right-foot rocket from outside the box at the 27th minute. Cadet was electric all game, beating defenders with ease.

“I saw the bounce was good and the goal was in front of me, so I hit it first time,” Cadet said. “That’s my style — I like to run along the line and make a cross or cut inside and take a shot.”

Buchholz coach Todd Rousseau identified where the game shifted.

“Carlos is so explosive with the ball — once he has it, you don’t know what he can do,” he said. “We target him as a player and like to get him involved.”

Cadet finished with a goal and two assists, showcasing his ability to be a dynamic threat as Buchholz pushed the field toward his side, enabling him to weave around defenders one-on-one.

Just before halftime, midfielder Evan Rowell tapped in an open goal during a quick transition sparked by a nice run by Christian McDaniel that made it 4–0.

Eastside didn’t have any shots on target in the first half and generated little offense beyond an early free kick that just missed the top corner.

“We’ve got the same back line we had last year,” Rousseau said. “With the juniors and seniors we have, there’s nothing to worry about back there on defense.”

Cadet kept creating chances after the break, assisting Ortiz at the back post for the striker’s second goal.

Junior forward Christian McDaniel (two assists) left with an injury midway through the second half, but 10 minutes before the final whistle, Christian Segura slid a pass that midfield Paulo Amador smoothly rolled into the net for the sixth and final goal.

For a group that insists it’s built back-to-front, the ambitions are aimed forward.

“We’re trying to go undefeated and just take everyone from last year — great players and coaching staff,” Rousseau said. “I expect excellence this year. We have a great team and a deep bench as well.”

Cadet called out from the sideline, still catching his breath.

“We played pretty well. We have a very complete team this year,” he added. “We have a good defense and solid strikers. We are trying to win everything and go to states — we want to reach as far as we can.”

On opening night, the press set the tone. The finishing wrote the headline. And Buchholz left the field looking like a team that seeks more than just a hot start. Up next, the Bobcats face an away challenge Tuesday at West Port, with kickoff at 7 p.m.

Category: Buchholz High School, High School Sports, Soccer