Chargers eyeing first playoff berth

By L. Scott Hainline
Chronicle correspondent
Clear Springs missed the playoffs by one game in its first varsity season last year and coach Kenny Webb is doing his best to avoid a repeat.
I hope the players are hungry after what happen a year ago, and we'll find out during the second half of district," Webb said following the Chargers' 3-3-1 midway finish. We wrapped up the first round with what I thought was a disappointing (2-2) tie against Dickinson, and I chewed on them pretty good when they got off the bus.
They can't be happy after a game like that and we really need focus on playing well on a consistent basis to get where we want to be."
Clear Springs' first senior class is highlighted by goalkeeper Josh Anderson, midfielder Oscar Duran, and defenders-midfielders Josh Brieva and Ian Schmid.
Anderson is a great goalie, and his father, Jason, was my keeper a few years ago when I coached at Clear Creek," Webb said. You can see a lot of his dad in him.
Duran is our leading scorer and best all-around player. He can play anywhere and leads by example."
Junior Mark Fernando, a Clear Springs track and field standout, is solid up front and can easily drop back into a defensive mode, and sophomores Ronan Griffiths and Drake Sackett were in numerous starting lineups as freshmen and have continued to elevate their play.
We started the second round in a fourth-place tie, and we feel like we had some opportunities to be higher in the standings," said Webb, who was Clear Creek's coach from 1989-98. We need to take it all in and be motivated to do better, and hopefully, we'll be in position for one the the four (District 24-5A) playoff berths."
The Chargers host Clear Lake at 7 p.m. Tuesday, and then visit Ball at 7 p.m. Friday in Galveston.