Jefferson’s Solis sisters lead offense
Arianna Solis will never find a better hype girl than her sister Janelle Solis.
Jenelle, a senior midfielder for Jefferson, has been a constant source of encouragement for Arianna.
“She always lifted me up and said, ‘You’ll get it next time.’ ” said Arianna, a sophomore forward for the Mustangs. “I would always be so hard on myself if I didn’t score or make the right pass. I would get down and stop playing my game. She would give me positive things to think about so I could be better.”
It’s a formula that’s led to plenty of success since Arianna joined the Mustangs varsity a season ago. Arianna has been the Mustangs’ leading scorer the last two seasons with a combined 58 goals.
This year, they’ve amped it up. Arianna is the area’s third-leading scorer for all classes with 36 goals. Janelle leads the area in assists with 20 to go with 18 goals.
Together, they helped Jefferson (20-4)
roll to the District 27-5A championship with a 16-0 mark. The Solis sister fueled a big offensive effort for the Mustangs, who have scored 125 goals this season.
Shakira Williams (28 goals, 19 assists), Jaslyn Orozco (13 goals, 19 assists) and Katalina Martinez (11 goals, 16 assists) have contributed in big ways, too.
But it all starts with Janelle feeding Arianna passes up top and letting the scoring opportunities develop from there.
“They have an understanding of where they are going to be, where they are on the field at all times,” Jefferson coach Jesse Esquivel said. “I pretty much turn them loose, and the rest of the girls adjust to their movement.”
The Mustangs have won 18 in a row as they open the Class 5A playoffs at Floresville (7-8-3) at 7 p.m. Thursday.
“Last year, we were on a roll as well, but COVID hit us and we stopped the season,” Esquivel said. “The girls felt we could have gone deep in the playoffs. We’ve picked up where we left off. With us being at 10 percent attendance, we did a lot of virtual training, a lot of online studying. They were hungry for it. 16-0, they bought into the concept of being undefeated. Now look where we are at.”
Most of Janelle’s assists have come because Arianna has been able to finish her passes. That’s an innate chemistry that has been built from the time when they began playing soccer together when they were in elementary school.
“Because we have that chemistry at home, it shows on the field so it’s easier to connect passes, score goals,” Janelle said. “It’s a wholesome feeling knowing she’s your family member, and we get to do that together.”
That connection helps with the flow of play because there is no time wasted yelling directions on the field. The sisters know exactly where they are going to be.
“Even when I’m not looking up, I know she’s going to be there because that’s how good a soccer player she is,” Janelle
said. Esquivel said the sisters are quick to move the ball because they are small and can’t take on most defenders one-on-one. He said that helps with the Mustangs’ ball movement.
“They learned early on to get the ball off their feet because, physically, they can’t match up,” Esquivel said. “Their speed and their tenaciousness make them very dangerous on the field.”
Janelle knew her sister would make an impact when Arianna joined the team last year. Arianna posted a team-best 22 goals as a freshman.
Arianna’s best quality is that she takes direction well, Janelle said.
“She’s probably one of my favorite players on the team, and it’s not just because she’s my sister,” Janelle said. “But she’s all around just a really good person. She’s very= coachable. You can take her and put her at any position, and she’ll get the job done.”
On Thursday, they’ll begin their first and final trek into the playoffs. Arianna is soaking it all in.
“Being in high school with her and sharing something big with her, we’ve never had the opportunity to do that,” Arianna said. “For the first time, it’s with my sister. It’s special.”