There’s one thing about playing in District 11-4A for the Byron Nelson girls soccer team. Whoever emerges and advances to the postseason will be better for it.
Driven to return to the Class 4A state soccer tournament and win it – the Lady Bobcats lost to Highland Park on penalty kicks in the championship game in 2012 – this team started quickly by going 14-0-1.However, district play offers more. This is a different composition for soccer than other team sports. Plus, it’s a different district number. Byron Nelson (16-1-1, 2-1) shares it with Denton Guyer, Birdville, Lake Dallas, Denton and Argyle. Guyer switched with Denton Ryan, but the difficulty remains.Nelson’s only loss was a 4-1 decision to Guyer on Feb. 12. This gauntlet is fine by coach Phillip Salyer.“It’s competitive and it prepares you for the playoffs,” Salyer said. “That’s really the way you want it. It’s going to be a fight just about every time you’re on the field.”Since this is only a six-team district, that reinforces what Salyer referenced. This team can’t afford a slide because four of the six teams advance. The first half of the schedule finished this week as Nelson was set to play at Birdville on Tuesday and will play at Argyle on Friday.Speaking of the schedule, it really is lopsided. The Lady Bobcats played four of their first five on the road. The loss to Guyer was at home. In the second half, they play four of their five at home.“We talked after the Guyer game how we don’t have much room to have a bad night,” Salyer said. “We have to make sure we’re sharp knowing that any team at any point can get us.”Just to reviewThe Lady Bobcats were fueled to their state final run on the strength of keeper Arianna Morrison. She graduated and is now playing at Central Oklahoma.A team’s success will be determined by the play in the box. Salyer had two solid but inexperienced candidates in sophomore Bonnie Ruten and freshman Tatum Hightower. He rotated the two before settling on Ruten before the district season began.“Each of them had equal time, and I thought they both did well,” Salyer said. “It was a tough decision.”The scoring punch is still up front in senior forwards Marchelle Davis, Wendy Brinn and Darla Hyde. Each has tallied about 10 goals to lead the way.However, Davis suffered an injury in the Guyer game and did not play Friday against Denton. Salyer said she was not expected to play against Birdville but hoped she would return for Argyle.“There’s the potential to play at our best,” he said. “I think there’s another good run in us. [The state championship game] is in the back of their minds, but we don’t talk about it. We just have to take it game by game.”Northwest updateCoach Lincoln Hunt’s Lady Texans (2-12-2, 2-4 in District 4-5A) finished the first half of district play Tuesday against Keller Central. The Lady Texans begin the second half Friday against Keller.Northwest needed that game against Central to feel better about its position and chances of making a run to return to the postseason.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
