Soccer: Cerezo heads into season leading both programs at Odessa High

If nothing else, at least Noe Cerezo has experience as the emergency head coach of Odessa High School's girls soccer program.

The difference this time, though, is Cerezo's plate already was pretty full as head coach for the OHS boys.

Cerezo agreed to take on the rare double duty as head coach of two varsity soccer programs in November. The girls job opened in September when Tony Pierce, who had been hired over the summer to replace Jessie McCartney, abruptly resigned the position.

So Cerezo's ninth season as the boys head coach will open today along with his second as the girls head coach at the Wildcat Kickoff Classic in Temple. Odessa High's boys play Rockwall at 6 p.m. in their tournament opener, with the girls starting the year at 8 p.m. against Plano High.

"All it means to me is trying to work a little bit harder," Cerezo said. "I think that I made the right decision. I really think these girls are pretty excited and they're really working at it."

Cerezo's first ECISD head coaching position came in 2000 when he was thrust unexpectedly into Odessa High's girls head coaching job. Cerezo originally was the junior varsity coach that year, but moved into the top spot after the late resignation of the previous coach.

After that one season with the Lady Bronchos - in which they went 4-14 overall and won a then-program record two district games - Cerezo moved over to become Odessa High's boys head coach.

In eight years with the boys team, Cerezo has compiled a record of 123-67-5 and has made six consecutive playoff appearances for a program that previously had never even had a winning district record.

This has be a new kind of challenge, though, for everybody involved.

"It's a new experience for all of us," said Mateo Vuelvas, a junior forward for Odessa High's boys. "It was a little weird at the beginning, but now that we've gotten used to it, we're back in the groove.

"It puts a lot more leadership on our captains and upperclassmen to show the younger ones how to play the game. When he's busy with the girls, we just have to take over. It's a good experience for all of us because we get better leadership skills."

Two-hour practices generally are conducted consecutively over a four-hour period, which cuts back on conflicts for Cerezo - although the days do get long.

Also, the District 2-5A schedule begins Tuesday and all league games are doubleheaders, so he simply will coach back-to-back games all season.

Cerezo said the attitudes of both the girls and boys players have helped make the unique situation work out.

He also said girls assistant Scott Houston - in his third year with the program - also has been key in the smooth transition.

"He knows what he's doing out there and he really, really helps out a lot," Cerezo said. "He's behind me 100 percent and I'm behind him 100 percent."

Houston will be the head coach of the OHS girls junior varsity, while Moses Raadt will serve as the OHS boys junior varsity coach.

When the girls head coaching position was vacant, senior midfielder Tiffany Barrera said a number of players appealed to OHS girls athletic coordinator Tracey Borchardt and OHS principal Ron Leach about Cerezo taking the program's reins.

Barrera has been happy with the results leading up to today's season opener.

"He's been really great," Barrera said. "He shows us our mistakes and works one-on-one with us. We had our first coach and then all of a sudden he had to leave. That left us kind of frustrated because we didn't know who would coach us."

It's taken a little extra commitment from everybody involved, which just might be the best thing after all.