Brothers Ernesto and Sergio Lostanau know what it takes to play
a good game of defensive soccer.
”
They’re interchangeable,
”
said Baler coach Mike Warner.
”
They both were on the cross country team, and they both have
tremendous energy.
”
Brothers Ernesto and Sergio Lostanau know what it takes to play a good game of defensive soccer.
“They’re interchangeable,” said Baler coach Mike Warner. “They both were on the cross country team, and they both have tremendous energy.”
Ernesto, a senior, has played three years for the varsity team, while Sergio, a junior, is playing his first season on the varsity team after a solid JV season last year.
“Sergio is not as good a ball handler as his older brother, but he plays with so much heart all the time,” Warner said. “He never stops on offense or defense. He just keeps going.”
“Sergio never complains,” Warner added. “I can put him anywhere I want on the field, and he does anything I ask. He is a great team player all the way around.”
Sergio said he has picked up tips on ball handling from his older brothers. Geraldo, the oldest of the Lostanau brothers, was a First Team all-TCAL pick last year.
“I just want to work hard,” Sergio said. “I have been trying to work more on my ball control. It is fun playing on the varsity. That is something I’ve wanted to do because it is where all the best players are.”
Ernesto provides a strong leadership roll for the Balers, Warner said.
“Ernie is a very smart player,” Warner said. “He is a fiery kind of player. He will get on the guys if he feels like they are not working hard enough. He has got that leadership quality in him.”
In his three years on the team, Ernesto has grown a lot while maintaining a high grade point average, Warner said. Ernesto started off primarily as a defender, but Warner moved him up to midfield and forward to take advantage of his speed.
“He used to be our sweeper,” Warner said. “He would give everything he had to prevent the other team from scoring. He has progressed with his ball handling skills and aggressiveness. Keeping him on the back line didn’t make any sense. I needed to get him where he could make plays happen. He is very versatile.”
The brothers played on their uncle’s club team together during the summer. Sometimes Warner will rotate Sergio in off the bench for his brother, and sometimes he will have them out on the field at the same time.
“It gives us a nice 1-2 punch,” Warner said. “They are very good team players. They are probably two of the hardest working guys in practice. They are inspiration for everyone else and keep the other guys pushing hard.”
Ernesto scored a goal in the 4-0 win against Saratoga and has had several good chances to score.
“He is sporadic,” Warner said. “Sometimes he puts the ball right on the goal, and sometimes he can’t find the net to save his life.”
Ernesto, with his thick mass of hair, can easily play balls off his head without even feeling most of them.
He started playing soccer when he still lived in Mexico before he moved to Hollister about three years ago.
“My brother never really played when we were in Mexico,” Ernesto said. “I just started playing with my friends. It is a little easier playing here because everyone plays there.”
Ernesto said he always enjoys playing Gilroy because of the competition. One of the highlights of his career was a game against Gilroy a couple years ago that the Balers won.
“They were really good,” Ernesto said. “They came here and were supposed to beat us by a lot, but they scored only one goal.”
