Grapevine rallies from early deficit to advance to girls soccer state title game

The Grapevine girls soccer program has become a regular at the UIL state tournament.

Its first appearance came in 2015 and since then, the Mustangs have gone to state five times in the past seven postseasons.

But the program is still looking for that first state championship.

It will have another chance on Saturday.

The Mustangs erased an early 1-0 deficit and scored four goals in the second half to beat Boerne Champion 6-3 in a Class 5A state semifinal on Thursday at Birkelbach Field.

“We’ve been down multiple times in the playoffs, but we can come back,” Grapevine coach Steve McBride said. “Don’t want to be in that position and territory, but the fact that we have been I think speaks volumes to how much we’ve matured over the last couple of weeks.”

Grapevine (22-2-1) will play Frisco Wakeland (22-1-4), which beat Magnolia 3-nil, in the final at 11 a.m. Saturday.

It will be third matchup at state between the two schools.

Wakeland won 3-2 in last season’s semis and in a shootout during the 2018 5A title game.

“Definitely don’t want to be [down] come Saturday if we can avoid it. If it happens, we’ve proven time in and time out that we can come back,” McBride said.

Grapevine spent more time on the attack in the first half than Champion, but the Chargers were the ones to hit the scoreboard first. After a free kick about 30 yards out, the Mustangs couldn’t clear and Nevaeh Garris finished it off in the upper right 90 for a 1-0 lead.

Grapevine still applied the pressure and from there, it was all Mustangs.

Baylor commit Theresa McCullough, Kasten Merrill and Samantha Larsen all scored two goals for Grapevine. Its six goals are tied for the second most in a UIL girls soccer state tournament game, trailing Cedar Park’s seven from 2002.

A pair of throw ins from Sammie Lumpkin were finished off in a span of three minutes in the opening half, both coming from 30 yards away.

McCullough headed in a goal for the 1-1 tie in the 26th minute and after another Lumpkin throw into the box from 35 yards, Merrill scored for the eventual game winner with just over 10 minutes left in the first half.

“I knew it was going to come. We were going to have our time,” said Lumpkin, a junior. “I knew we would score at least one. I could feel it even in warm ups before the game like an energy thing.

“This is the first time I’ve ever played at this stadium and walking out onto the field is a feeling I’ll never forget.”

Leading 2-1 at intermission, the Mustangs didn’t stop, scoring four more times ... quickly.

In the 46th minute, McCullough got into the box on the far right side, crossed it to Caroline Martin. Her shot bounced off the Champion keeper and Larsen booted one to the left for a 3-1 edge.

A minute later, Larsen scored on a McCullough pass.

“Our front line is super dynamic,” said McCullough, a junior. “We always look to build off each other and it’s all about unselfishness. Not one of us is going to score five goals. We just always look for each other.”

Larsen beat the keeper low to the far post.

Merrill and McCullough added their second goals to give Grapevine a 6-2 lead, following Champion’s second goal, with 25 minutes left to play. Merrill’s goal came following a Naomi Jeter free kick from 40 yards out.

McCullough finished off a Sydney Martin assist and beat the keeper low and to the left side.

“It’s almost like it was drawn out to happen,” said McCullough of Saturday’s matchup with Wakeland.

Champion added another goal in the box in the 71st minute from Reagan Burkey.

Grapevine edged out Champion in shots, 9-8 and in corners, 3-2. Ashley Knight made a save in the first half in goal for Grapevine while Addison Williams had four saves in the second half.

“We can provide goals in different ways and today it was off set pieces,” McBride said. “When we cross midfield, we feel dangerous and put other teams in panic mode because then we can get throw ins and it can pay the price and today that got us back in the match.

“[This team] has put in the work and now they’re getting the reward to come down here and play at Birkelbach. This is a special place. You ask any of the girls that come down with their medals, whether it’s bronze, silver or gold ... they’re special medals because they’re only four teams left.”

This story was originally published April 14, 2022 at 2:15 PM.