Boys soccer regional semis: Keller, Castleberry win in shootout; Trimble Tech continues magic
Keller 2, McKinney Boyd 1 (8-7 SO)
Keller goalkeeper Aidan Tidwell stopped the shot of Boyd’s Brady Smolik in the 8th round of penalty kicks as the Indians advance with an 8-7 edge during the first Class 6A Region 1 semifinal at McKinney ISD Stadium.
Keller (23-2) will play Plano (17-4-4) at noon on Saturday for the Region 1 title.
The game was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation and two overtime periods.
Boyd (19-4-1) scored first on a corner kick by Austin Woodruff in the 56th minute. Woodruff’s corner was headed in the keeper’s box by Keller’s Ryan D’Urso, but went towards the Indians’ goal. Tidwell had to battle off Aimon Ibssa and Spencer Sarkissian, but the ball rebounded right to Caden Kitchens who punched it in for the Broncos.
D’Urso got the equalizer for the Indians in the 70th minute off a rebound from a Matthew Sanchez free kick.
Sanchez’s kick, from 29 yards out, short hopped the Boyd keeper and rebounded just outside the keeper’s box. D’Urso punched it under the leg of Kitchens and through the legs of Julian Hinojosa, who was in goal, to knot the game.
Stephenville 2, Midlothian Heritage 1
The Yellow Jackets scored two first-half goals and overcame Heritage’s momentum in the second half to end the Jaguars’ season in a Class 4A Region 1 semifinal on Friday at Northwest ISD Stadium.
Heritage, which made its first trip to the semis since 2019, finishes the season 21-4-4.
Stephenville (21-2-1) will play Castleberry in the regional final at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday back at Northwest.
With the wind in their face, the Yellow Jackets still managed to get two goals off in the first half. The first came in the 25th minute when a Stephenville player raced past two Heritage defenders and booted the ball as the Heritage goalkeeper was coming up in the box.
The second came in the 32nd minute. After going off a Heritage defender in the box, Stephenville made it 2-0 with a low dribbler that caught the goalie off guard.
Heritage had a chance to cut it in half before intermission. After a foul in the box, the Jaguars penalty kick was high and hit the top cross bar before the Jackets cleared it.
The Jags continued to attack in the second half and finally made it 2-1 on a Conner McRorey goal in the 46th minute. Calvin Duggins beat two or three defenders to the box and made a small cross to McRorey, who easily scored.
Heritage had several free kicks and corner kicks in the second half, and Stephenville got four yellow cards, but the Jags couldn’t hit the equalizer.
FW Trimble Tech 3, Amarillo Palo Duro 0
The Bulldogs continued their historic soccer season with a berth into Saturday’s Class 5A Region 1 final after shutting out the Dons in the semis on Friday at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls.
Tech (28-3-1) will face Grapevine for a state tournament berth at noon in Wichita Falls.
It was Palo Duro’s second loss of the season and second game which it allowed three goals.
The Dons came into the match having allowed three goals combined through the playoffs.
Tech grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 32nd minute when Jonathan Villalpando scored from 25 yards out. The Bulldogs added another goal just before the break when Yahir Sanchez found the back of the net in the 34th minute.
The Bulldogs extended their 2-0 halftime lead in the 61st minute when Edgar Munoz finished off a Julian Hernandez cross. Tech picks up its 18th shutout of the season behind goalkeeper Aaron Ceja.
Castleberry 2, San Elizario 1 (5-4 PK)
Donovan Delgado made the only save in penalty kicks and Isaac Chavez drove in the game-winning kick as the Lions beat the Eagles in a Class 4A Region 1 semifinal on Friday at Northwest.
The Lions (20-5-1) will play in their first regional final against Stephenville at 12:30 on Saturday.
Jesse Salas gave Castleberry a 1-0 lead with a goal in the eighth minute. Salas beat out his defender and got into the box before sliding the ball past a diving goalkeeper.
The Lions would get their chances, but San Elizario was on the attack more in the first half.
The Eagles (14-6) had a chance to tie it with shots in the 13th and 18th minutes, but both were wide and high. Then the Eagles had a shot on goal in the 28th minute that hit the top cross bar.
Castleberry would hold onto that lead going into halftime.
Delgado made several amazing stops to keep the lead, but San Elizario finally netted the equalizer in the 59th minute.
Castleberry had a chance to take the lead with less than 15 minutes left in regulation, but its first two shots were either stopped or hit the top bar while a third attempt hit the left post.
Eagles’ forward Alan Jurado nearly bent one in, but it was stopped by Delgado in the 68th minute.
After a scoreless overtime period, Delgado, Esteban Mercado, Salas, Diego Torres and Chavez all converted their PKs for the Lions. The only miss came on the Eagles’ third attempt.
The kick was good, at first, but the ref called it off because the player had made a stop in his progress. The rule is that the kicker must always be moving forward. On the second attempt, Delgado made the stop.
Grapevine 4, El Paso Del Valle 1
The Mustangs scored three second-half goals to eliminate Del Valle in a Class 5A Region 1 semifinal on Friday at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls.
Grapevine (27-0-2) will play Trimble Tech in its first regional final since finishing as state runner-up in 1997. The game will be noon on Saturday in Wichita Falls.
Leo Londe scored one for the Mustangs while also forcing an own goal by Del Valle in the second half.
Carlos Barrientos scored two goals for Grapevine.
The Woodlands 3, Mansfield Lake Ridge 2 OT
Lake Ridge’s season came to an end in a Class 6A Region 2 semifinal on Friday in Austin.
The Eagles finish with a 17-5-4 record and their first trip to the regional tournament since 2018.
The Woodlands (20-1-2) will face Houston MacArthur for the 6A Region 2 title at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Reeves Athletic Complex. MacArthur defeated Duncanville on Friday.
Cody Tice converted a penalty kick in the 99th minute for the game-winning goal.
Lake Ridge had a free kick and off the rebound, Chase Turcotte scored with one second left in regulation to tie the game at 2-2.
This story was originally published April 8, 2022 at 5:28 PM.