Fort Worth-area boys’ high school soccer: Things to know ahead of bi-district playoffs
Texas’ UIL high school boys’ soccer playoffs start on March 20. Here are a few things to know from around the Fort Worth area:
Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis to start playoff run vs. Eagle Mountain
Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis boys soccer (20-2) has been an absolute force in District 7-4A.
The DHJ Eagles recently claimed an undefeated district title, which is their fifth straight district championship. Diamond Hill-Jarvis will face Eagle Mountain at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 20 at Scarborough Handley Field.
The winner will face Gatesville or Ferris in the area round.
The Eagle Mountain Knights (3-11-4) are in their inaugural season and managed to sneak into the playoffs, grabbing the last spot in District 8-4A.
They’ll have a tough task in Diamond Hill, a squad that has outscored opponents by 76 goals. Diamond Hill has won 15 consecutive games by two goals or more.
One player to watch is DHJ senior forward Alex Ibarra, the Star-Telegram’s 2024 Player of the Year. He recently broke the record for career goals for boys and girls soccer at Diamond Hill-Jarvis.
The Knights and Eagles matched up in the regular season, and DHJ secured a sizable 8-1 victory.
Clash of district champions: Hurst L.D. Bell to face Mansfield Lake Ridge
Hurst L.D. Bell (16-4-3), with a first-place finish in District 4-6A, will take the district’s top spot in the Class 6A Division 1 bracket.
The Blue Raiders are on a six-game winning streak, which includes victories over two playoff teams: Southlake Carroll and Byron Nelson.
Now, Bell will start its playoff run and will face Mansfield Lake Ridge (10-7-3), a high-quality bi-district round opponent, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, at Pennington Field.
Despite finishing as the top team in District 4-6A, Bell has to face a district champion in the opening round of the playoffs.
The Lake Ridge Eagles won a share of the District 3-6A championship alongside North Crowley. Due to the split division format based on enrollment, North Crowley and Lake Ridge were both placed in the Class 6A Division 1 bracket.
The winner will move on to play Odessa or Franklin in the area round.
Fort Worth Paschal, Wyatt to start playoff runs
Fort Worth Paschal (10-7-3) will start its playoff run against Burleson Centennial (10-7-3) at 7:30 on Friday, March 21, at Farrington Field. The Panthers secured a second-place finish in District 7-5A. Due to enrollment, Paschal takes the top spot for the district in the Class 5A Division 1 bracket.
Fort Worth Wyatt (20-2) won the district championship, earning the group’s top spot in the Class 5A Division 2 bracket. The Chaparrals will face Mansfield Summit (13-7-2), the second-place finisher out of District 8-5A.
Wyatt has scored 67 goals while allowing 21, outscoring opponents by 46 total goals. With their fate as district champions already decided, the Chaparrals lost their final game of the regular season to Trimble Tech. Before that, Wyatt had won 18 in a row.
Tarrant Country drought: Can the streak be snapped?
It’s been nearly 14 years since a Tarrant County boys’ high school soccer team won a UIL state championship.
The last squad to win it all was Southlake Carroll in 2011, before Class 6A was created. Fort Worth Trimble Tech is the last Tarrant County team to make a state tournament appearance; the Bulldogs made it to a 5A semifinal in the 2022 season.
In 2021, Fort Worth Diamond Hill Jarvis came close, making it to a Class 4A state semifinal.
Although Tarrant County isn’t known for championship success in soccer, the inaugural year of split-division playoffs doubles the opportunities. As opposed to three titles, six will be up for grabs.
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