In the aftermath of a history-making moment — and not the good kind — the Reagan High School girls soccer team easily could have decided not to dwell on the memory.

The Rattlers could have spoken about forgetting the past, moving forward, a clean slate, or any assortment of other clichés. They instead decided to address the issue head-on, providing a balm to a COVID-shortened 2020 season in which the Rattlers failed to qualify for the UIL playoffs for the first time in their 20-year history.

“Our team worked really hard last year,” Reagan sophomore forward Taylor Jernigan said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get the results we wanted. But this year is definitely motivation that fuels us to work a lot harder. I think our team’s definitely capable of going as far as we want to.”

Through a month of the season, it would be hard to argue the Rattlers’ prospects.

Reagan is unbeaten in its first 11 games, including Saturday’s 3-0 decision vs. Brandeis in a District 28-6A showdown at Farris Stadium. The Rattlers (10-0-1, 4-0-1 in district) scored two goals five minutes apart in the first half to take command and never let up.

Jernigan tallied the game-winner in the 19th minute, taking a pass from teammate Courtney Canion, fending off a Brandeis defender, and depositing a shot to the right post. Five minutes later, Reagan increased its advantage to 2-0 when defender Hailey Borbon headed in a corner kick from Cami Jordan.

Reagan completed the scoring eight minutes into the second half when an unmarked Kate Benne tapped in a crossing pass from Jadis Kirk, who made a run down the right flank and toward the goal line before finding Benne in stride at the left post.

The Rattlers gave Brandeis (6-1-1, 2-1-1) little time to catch its breath as Benne, Kirk, Cami Jordan, Brooke Castillo, Canion and Jernigan applied constant pressure.

“It’s always a new experience every single game, because the game changes so much,” said Jernigan, who has scored 19 goals overall and seven game-winners this season. “But I have full faith in my teammates because I know we can always get the job done. We just really want to work on our team unity. Last year, it was good. But this year, it’s so much stronger and I think that formed a bond between the girls that helped us play as well as we do.”

The tests don’t stop for Reagan, which has matches Tuesday vs. Johnson and Friday Churchill to conclude a stretch in which it also played Madison and Clark, both district champions a year ago, in three weeks.

“We always respect those teams; they’re really good,” Jernigan said. “We always have to work to play our hardest, but we always rather have games where we challenge ourselves than to be able to pass circles around teams and finish. It always makes us better as players.”

Boys
Reagan 3, Brandeis 0: Fabrizio Bernal, Christian Hernandez and Mario Esnayra each scored a goal as the Rattlers won their fourth straight game.

Reagan (5-4 overall, 4-1 in District 28-6A), which led 2-0 at halftime, moved one win behind first-place Churchill (8-1-1, 5-0) in the league standings. LEE is second (9-1, 4-0), but has played one fewer district contest, while Johnson (7-2-1, 3-1) is fourth.

The Rattlers play Johnson on Tuesday and Churchill on Friday.
Aidan Phelan and Jack Hilliard each notched an assist vs. Brandeis for the Rattlers, who have outscored their last four opponents by an 18-2 margin. They had scored five goals in each of the previous three games.

terrence@terrencesports.com
Twitter: @sa_terrence1