Fun-loving Rams soccer soaring

None of the members of the Rancho girls soccer team was born when Cyndi Lauper released the single “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” in 1983.

But that hasn’t stopped the Rams from picking up on the theme of Lauper’s song.

“You see girls laughing all the time,” senior captain Rebecca Revo said. “We all get along, and from time to time we like to fool around.”

Maybe a little too much, in fact.

“One of the challenging things for our team,” Rancho coach Sarah France said, “is it’s hard to keep them focused and serious about something.”

The Rams certainly have enjoyed themselves during their joy ride to a 7-1 overall record and second-place standing in the Northeast League (5-1, 15 points). But with six games remaining in the regular season, all that fun is about to stop.

“Right now, it’s halfway through the season,” Revo said. “It’s game time. It’s time to get serious.

“... Everybody has got to bring it in and get our stuff together.”

Behind the midfield duo of junior Jahmela Muhammad and senior Zakiya Bywaters, the Rams have outscored their opponents 36-6 this season.

France said this squad is “more talented” than the one that lost 4-0 to Green Valley in the Sunrise Region final last season.

Yet, France added, it has been a struggle just to get everyone on the field at the same time. France conducts portions of practice without a full team as players attend after-school tutoring or are working.

When the Rams lost 2-0 to Las Vegas on Jan. 16, they were without Muhammad, Bywaters and Lexa Green. France did not disclose the reason for their absence and said two others since have quit the team.

Throw in the fact that many players compete for successful club teams — in the case of Bywaters, it’s also the national team — and playing for the high school program often becomes secondary.

Or, just for fun.

“This team’s success comes from having extremely talented girls,” France said. “The challenge is getting them to come together and play together as a team. “I truly do feel this is the most talented team in Las Vegas. We have some of the most skilled players in the country.”

Bywaters recorded two assists in four games for the U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team in 2008. She is ranked as the No. 17 player in the country by ESPN RISE and is headed to UCLA in the fall.

Muhammad is one of the top players for the Class of 2010 and virtually has been unstoppable offensively. In seven games, she has 17 goals, which includes two hat tricks and a four-goal outburst during a 7-0 win Jan. 8 over Chaparral.

“We’re good at going forward and scoring,” said Muhammad, who scored three times in Tuesday’s 7-0 win over Canyon Springs. “Everybody wants to score; there’s shots all the time. We get a lot of opportunities, and we have a lot of speed, too.”

The Rams, who will host Valley at 3 p.m. today, appear to be peaking now after the bumps earlier in the season. Since the loss to first-place Las Vegas, the Rams have started to produce the type of offensive balance France has been looking for, scoring 15 goals in two games. Rancho’s rematch with the rival Wildcats (5-1-2, 5-0-1) is Feb. 12.

“It’s actually the game of soccer being played when we play possession,” Revo said. “Our biggest goal is to beat Vegas, make the final and be the team we’re supposed to be.”

Added Muhammad: “When everybody gets on the same page, then we’ll be real good.”