In the 2018 varsity boys soccer preseason, Wilsonville is playing a lot of 6A schools.

This week the Wildcats played Bend High School on Tuesday, and Tigard High School on Thursday.

Next week the Wildcats will be playing West Albany and Gresham, both 6A schools.

Playing schools in the 6A division can make the team nervous because 6A schools typically have better teams. Coming into a game nervous can affect the way the game goes, reflects Daniel Espinoza, a junior starter on varsity, “I do get nervous because I know that we’re going to face a tough team. You can never be too confident going into a preseason game.” This nervousness coming into the game can affect the start of the game and the players may make crucial mistakes.

However, once the game gets going and the players get a few touches on the ball, the die out and all the focus is getting the result. Playing 6A schools in the preseason helps cement good tactics in the team chemistry and make the regular season less daunting because chances are, they’ve already played the hardest teams they’ll play all year.