It's been a little while since I have given some feedback as the last couple of weeks were quite busy. The varsity boys played 7 games in 10 days, which is very grueling, especially against the level of competition we have faced. Going into last week we had played the hardest schedule in the state according to the math rankings, and after last week we now sit at #2. Needless to say it has been a very tough first month of the schedule, probably the toughest that I can remember since I have been at Lafayette. We've played a lot of teams who will probably have very good seasons and have a chance to advance far into the postseason.

Thinking back to before the Purples Classic, it was good to see the boys bounce back with a positive performance and result against Franklin County. Even though we did not score in the run of the play, I felt the energy to be much better than the week before and it translated to a good performance. We were still a little shorthanded, and still had some guys working their way back from illness, but it was a good confidence booster going into the Purples Classic. Franklin is a good team and they will have a very good season, but I thought the boys were quite convincing against them. We just lacked some polish in front of goal.

The Purples Classic turned into an extremely tough weekend, but it was great to see a different kind of brand against some good teams. We played 3 WKY teams who played a bit different style than we had seen so far (all very aggressive in the attack), and then a talented Oldham County squad who just became the #1 team in the state for that week. All 4 games were a battle, but there was a consistent theme on our end throughout the weekend - failing to convert high quality goal scoring opportunities. We created plenty of chances in all 4 games, but we had a really tough time putting the ball in the back of the net and many times struggled to even make the goalkeeper work to keep it out. It's been a focus of ours since then and we are consistently asking who will step up to score. The positive side is we are creating chances every time out. Now we have to find a way to put a higher percentage in the goal. I was really happy for the boys that they came away with the shooutout win in the Oldham County game as I felt they deserved it. I think we will see at least 3 of the teams we played in Bowling Green make big runs in the postseason. It was a tough 3 days, but it was a great measuring stick and we learned a lot about the team. Bowling Green is always a great team bonding trip as well and I am sure the boys enjoyed themselves.

Last week was a positive way to wrap up our pre-district schedule. I have to admit I was a little nervous about the Bryan Station game. After a tough and tiresome weekend, I worried we would be fatigued and that our motivation would not be high. Station is much improved and they have players who can be dangerous. I was happy to see a focused performance allowing us to pull away (with 5 goals in the run of play!) and get plenty of players some time on the field. That showed a bit of maturity from the group. I don't want to understate that performance as Station went on to beat Scott County 3-0 (a team we lost to) on Thursday and has played many teams very close. It was a solid result. Finally, getting a win against a city rival in Henry Clay is always a positive. HC is one of the consistent contenders out of Lexington and city schools do not knock them off too often. While the game was a bit chaotic and not the prettiest from a purist's point of view (which happens a lot in rivalry games), it was competitive and intense. We did not play our best in that game, and were a bit on our heels in the first half. While we had some uncharacteristic performances from some key guys, the boys gutted it out and put in a much improved effort after halftime. Good teams find ways to win against quality competition even when they aren't at their best.

I look forward to hitting our district slate first with Lexington Catholic on Tuesday. With our district games and senior night on the schedule for the next few weeks, it will be an emotional and intense time. I believe our district is the toughest in the state and I never take any of those games for granted. I assume they all will be a battle. Even during years when you think you have it figured out, there always seems to be a surprise. We have plenty to work on, and plenty of room to grow. We are still battling our decision making and as a coaching staff we want to see it simpler and not as forced. We also want to see more efficiency and a more aggressive mindset around the goal. We've had quite an inconsistent roster as well over the past few weeks due to injuries, illness, and some disciplinary reasons. Obviously that makes it difficult to zero in on areas of improvement when we are missing key players. Hopefully we can keep the entire group in tact and make some serious progress while getting some key results against district opponents. The first month has been fun, and I look to a strong finish in the second!