Republic’s soccer season came to an end Monday in a 3-0 loss to Ozark in the district quarterfinals. Ozark scored a single goal in the first half, added a second goal about nine minutes after halftme, then finished the scoring with 13:35 remaining.
Republic stepped up its intensity in the final minutes with a senior-heavy lineup on the field, but wasn’t able to put the ball in the net.
“It wasn’t for lack of effort or lack of heart. Anyone who watched the game, they saw we had more chances in the last 12 minutes, and that’s exactly what the senior group did for us this year. The leadership was amazing from top to bottom. Even the kids who barely got to play on varsity, they put in some work today,” Zuniga said.
Republic finished the season with a 5-19 record, but three of those wins came in the past three weeks, along with a near-miss against Springfield Glendale. Zuniga said the team’s late improvement showed him the team was moving in the right direction despite its frustrating results. But in his first year, Zuniga said he has learned a lot about being a head coach.
“I could give you a list of things,” he said. “You’ve got to trust it. You saw the way we were playing the last two weeks, compared to the first few weeks… sometimes the ‘wins’ aren’t always measured in the win column. Seeing the boys grow and mature throughout the year, it showed there’s still a lot of work to be done but we’re definitely moving the right way.
“I told them in June, the season’s quick and it flies by, and they never believe it until it happens,” Zuniga said.