You would think a program that almost always makes it to the third round of the state playoffs every year would get the benefit of the doubt in preseason rankings.

That’s not the case for the Lady Cavaliers this year, as they find their place as the seventh-best team in Region IV.

It doesn’t make much sense considering the talent returning yet again to Lake Travis, but it also doesn’t much matter to head coach Jeff Gamble.

But while he’s a coach that rarely puts stock in preseason rankings, if you venture inside the Lady Cavs’ locker room, you’ll find TASCO’s state rankings posted. Not to show where Lake Travis is located, but to show where all the teams Lake Travis will play are located.

“I wanted the girls to see who we’re taking on,” Gamble said. “So I highlighted all the teams we play that are ranked in the top 10 in their region.”

There is a lot of yellow highlighter on that wall.

There is also a lot of reason to be excited about the Lady Cavaliers.

Top forward Emma Jones returns for her junior season, flanked by super sophomore Toni Cruise, who emerged as a goal scoring threat in the playoffs last year. The Lady Cavaliers will employ a flatback 3-4-3 formation, and ideally Gamble would like to have four forwards to keep rotating into those front three spots. He think he’s got the other two forwards in Megan Zakour and Kiersten Kirby.

The defense will be led again by Andie Stone, who Gamble refers to as his coach on the field. The team’s biggest loss will be at central midfield with Rachel Houston having graduated and moved on to play in college. Gamble thinks Priyanka Guar will be the girl to fill that role, though she’ll likely play a much different style than the dominating Houston did. He’s hoping that the change will give the team a more fluid style of play, as well.

Lake Travis also returns valued experience in Rachel Burdick, Alex McCarthy, Dacia Burill, Katie Govett, Olivia Tilley, Stephanie Lara and keepers Wyoming Kaut and Jade Van Streepen.

“The biggest thing we’re working on is toughness in every aspect of the game,” Gamble said. “I really want them to be more aggressive, to be first to the ball and to not fear the physical aspects of the game.”

Communication is another aspect the team is struggling with early on, but is something that Gamble hopes they’ll work out with time.

The biggest motivation for the team, as always, will be the previous season’s shortcomings. Gamble has made no secret about aiming for a state championship every year, and a couple final four trips and plenty of playoff runs later, no one questions the team’s direction. But the goal, contrasted with the finish each year, makes a slip-up all the more painful.

“Everything we’re doing so far is based on the loss to Dripping Springs last year in the playoffs,” Gamble said. “It irritates me and I know it irritates the girls.”

That’s where the push to be more physical comes from – the Lady Tigers pushed around Lake Travis in that postseason showdown.

“It’s definitely a point I keep hitting on,” Gamble said.

Like last year’s early season miscue, finishing has been a struggle so far in scrimmages.

“We keep playing scoreless draws,” Gamble said. “We’re getting shots off, we’re not letting the other teams get many shots off, but we’re not getting anything into the back of the net.”

But he’s hoping the abundance of chances will mean goals are around the corner, as well.
Lake Travis will have time to sort through it’s issues in the first month of play, which kicks off with this weekend’s Dragon Invitational at Round Rock – a tournament largely comprised of 5A schools.

The Lady Cavs open that tournament with a 4 p.m. match against Stony Point today at Dragon Stadium. They’ll play McNeil at 8 a.m. tomorrow and follow that with Mission Sharyland at 4 p.m.

Last weekend’s Highlander Classic – the season-opening tournament that Gamble uses as a barometer for the team’s progress – was cancelled because of the cold weather, but Highland Park will be down for the Dragon Invitational and could get pitted against the Lady Cavs if both teams go undefeated through the first three games.

Even if they don’t get that chance, the tournament – along with next week’s Governor’s Cup in Georgetown – will let Lady Cav fans know whether or not Tasco dropped the ball on those rankings.

It’s probably a safe bet with this team.