Central KansasTeam of the Week: Maize Soccer

When Maize was beaten badly by Dodge City in the championship game of the Red Bracket at the Titan Classic on Sept. 6, the Eagles were stunned, but they refused to believe they were as bad as they performed in the 5-1 loss. Three days later, the Eagles traveled west, way west, to Dodge City for a rematch against the Red Demons. This time around, Maize showed which was the better team with a 5-3 victory. To Maize coach Mike Darrah, the difference in the two contests was night and day. "The intensity picked up the second time around," Darrah said. "We just battled in the second game." Maize has had more than four players score this season, making for a consistent output from a deep roster. "To be honest, the whole group has been playing pretty good," Darrah said. "The best thing about it was that we're picking each other up. We cover each other and help each other out." Next up, the Eagles (4-1) will face a good 5A team, Newton, but they treat every team the same. "We look at every game as if it was the state championship," Darrah said. After a victory over Dodge City, Darrah can see the special qualities in this team, which he saw in some of his best teams ever at Maize. "Every team I've had has had a uniqueness about them," Darrah said. "On this team, the best part is that everyone is accountable when they mess up. There's no griping, we just learn from mistakes."