Packers crank up the pace to sink Wingers
Published 10:05 pm Thursday, September 3, 2020
Austin’s Andres Garcia Butkowski lunges after the ball against Red Wing Thursday night at Art Hass Stadium. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Austin’s Gree Ha centers the ball against Red Wing in the first half Thursday night in Art Hass Stadium. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Austin’s Tue Reh breaks away during the first half against Red Wing Thursday night at Art Hass Stadium. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Austin’s Henry Tolbert leaps to intercept the ball during the first half against Red Wing Thursday night at Art Hass Stadium. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Austin’s Jose Valladares Gonzalaz steps into a shot against Red Wing in the first half earlier this year. Herald file photo
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Austin senior Henry Tolbert hauled in a pass near the goal, he looked up and saw three Red Wing defenders in front of him. He turned away for a split second and fired a backwards heel kick into the net for his third goal of the night to make it 11-0 just 40 seconds into the second half. Minutes later, Tolbert played tic tac toe with Andres Garcia, who finally fired and scored to notch his own hat trick.
It was that kind of a game for the Packers as 10 players notched at least a goal and Austin cruised to a 15-1 win over Red Wing in their home opener in Art Hass Stadium Thursday night.
Tolbert has produced plenty of highlight goals in his Packer career, but he even surprised himself a little with his trick shot in the second half.
“I don’t know (what I saw in the defense). I didn’t really think about it,” Tolbert said. “That was the first time I’ve scored on that move.”
Garcia later added his fourth goal of the win and he now has six goals in two games for the Packers (2-0 overall, 2-0 Big Nine). Garcia and Tolbert both wreaked havoc on the Winger front line throughout the night.
“With Henry, I’m kind of used to being his sidekick,” Garcia said. “I just give it to him and if he sees me open, he gets it back to me.”
The Packers scored all of the goals they would need in the game’s first three minutes as Poe Reh headed in a corner kick from Jose Valladeres to make it 1-0, Aiden Martinez scored to make it 2-0 and Garcia landed a shot that made it 3-0.
Tolbert scored to make it 4-0 with 26:18 left in the first half and he broke down the defense to make it 5-0 just three minutes later. The fifth goal for the Packers put the game into running time.
Peter Li, Jackson Goetz, Tu Reh, Valladeres, Gree Ha and Joel Thwang each scored one goal for the Packers
Thwang and Martinez are both eighth graders and they are the first eighth graders to play under Levisen since Fransisco Torres and Roel Torres played as middle schools for the Packers. Levisen doesn’t like to bring up middle schoolers unless they can deliver on a winning varsity team.
“We haven’t had many at that young age that have been able to step up,” Levisen said. “Franciso was their seventh grade coach last year and he called me up told me to give them a chance. We tried (Thwang and Martinez) out this fall and sure enough, they could play. To some extent, they could be our future center mids.”
