Sam Houston boys soccer team ready for another run at the UIL state tournament

The Arlington Sam Houston boys soccer team is ready to make another run at at a UIL state title.

The Texans came up just short in 2017, losing in the Class 6A championship match to Dallas Jesuit, 2-1 in overtime.

It's a memory coach Joey Rodriguez said he and his players are anxious to put behind them.

“We have a game-to-game approach,” Rodriguez said. “This is a different team from last year and so we can't really dwell on the past. The guys know this, and the new guys that we have on the team have done a really good job playing at the varsity level.

“Now they all get a chance to show what they can do in these playoff games.”

The District 4-6A champion Texans (17-5) open the playoffs at 7 p.m. Thursday at Keller Central. Sam Houston also advanced to the state tournament in 2015.

This year, Sam Houston is led by sophomore forward Jose Ortiz. The 2017 Star-Telegram player of the year has 40 goals and six assists this season.

For Ortiz, a return trip to state is even more personal because an injury last year in the regional tournament kept him out of the lineup for state.

“The main focus has been going back to state and getting the job done this time,” Ortiz said. “Looking back to last year and seeing what we did just gives us more motivation.”

Other key contributors back from 2017 are senior defender Mario Trevizo, junior midfielder Nate Kopetsky, and junior goalkeeper Izac Garcia. Trevizo and Kopetsky made the All-Tournament team at state last year.

“You can always play the 'What if?’ game,” said Rodriguez said, “but I am super proud of how our guys competed.”

Tankou is back with eight goals and seven assists, while Kopetsky has three goals and 12 assists.

Last week’s district title was the Texans’ fifth in the last six years. Sam Houston outscored 4-6A opponents 59-20 this season. Garcia recorded seven shutouts.

“This year has been a great one so far,” Ortiz adds. “The team is looking very good. Even though we've had our bumps in the road, we're looking forward to making another great run.”

The state tournament is April 18-21 at Birkelbach Field in Georgetown.

This story was originally published March 27, 2018 at 8:12 PM with the headline "Sam Houston boys soccer team ready for another run at the UIL state tournament."