Trimble Tech represents Fort Worth well, but falls short in boys soccer state semis
Against all odds, Fort Worth Trimble Tech went into halftime with Frisco Wakeland tied up during their Class 5A boys soccer state semifinal on Thursday at Birkelbach Field.
It was Tech’s first state appearance and Wakeland’s fifth straight.
In a classic tale of David versus Goliath, Trimble Tech scored just before intermission to tie the game at 1-1, but Wakeland scored two second-half goals to knock off the Bulldogs 3-1.
Tech ends its magical season with a 26-4-3 record.
“Honestly, we went down against Grapevine in the first half like we did here in the first four or five minutes and we came back and tied it up,” Trimble Tech coach James Williams said. “I was feeling good at half. I thought we had a good chance. It didn’t happen. That’s soccer.”
Wakeland (23-4-1) advances to the state final for the sixth consecutive time and will play Dripping Springs at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Dripping Springs beat Katy Jordan 1-0 on Thursday.
After Tech keeper Aaron Ceja made an initial save in the fifth minute, Wakeland star Brennan Bezdek scored on the put back to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead. The Wolverines were on the attack within the first five minutes with three or four corners, but Tech did a good job on defense until the Bezdek goal.
The Bulldogs clamped down on Wakeland right after, not allowing a goal for the rest of the first half while applying their own pressure on the offensive front. Tech got off multiple shots and finally tied it in the 37th minute.
Following a free kick, Edgar Munoz chipped it from within the box toward the goal and Daniel Gutierrez just beat out Wakeland keeper Brad Shreve for the score.
The game would remain tied for the next 32 minutes of game action until the Wolverines took the lead with just over 10 minutes to play in regulation. William Heidman flicked a pass to Ryan Greener, who finished it past Ceja to the far post. Wakeland led 2-1 in the 69th minute.
Tech continued to attack, looking to tie the game, but never could get the equalizer.
“I told them to keep their heads up. We made history tonight,” Williams said. ““They got us in the end. It was close. We want to be here again next year. We’re coming back.”
Wakeland scored an insurance goal in the 75th minute off a Bezdek penalty kick. The Wolverines out shot the Bulldogs 15-8 and had a 7-1 edge in corner kicks.
Ceja made three saves for Tech. Gutierrez got off a team-high four shots.
While it was Trimble Tech’s first trip to the boys soccer state tournament, it was the Fort Worth school district’s second straight. Diamond Hill-Jarvis was the first boys or girls program to reach the state soccer semis last season before falling in the 4A title game against Boerne.
It was the first time a Fort Worth school had played for a UIL championship in the six major sports (football, baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, baseball) since the Dunbar girls basketball team in 2007.
“The fans were great,” Williams said. “Tech is great. It’s my home and my family ... always.”
This story was originally published April 14, 2022 at 10:21 PM.