Colleyville Heritage girls soccer ends season as state runner-up in consecutive years
In high school athletics, losing in a state championship can be heartbreaking for student athletes.
To get so close to an ultimate goal, fall short and see the opposing team celebrate an accomplishment you dreamed of and worked so hard for — that can be extremely painful. For Colleyville Heritage girls soccer, it’s a feeling that comes with déjà vu.
One year after falling to Frisco Wakeland in the Class 5A title game, Colleyville Heritage lost to College Station A&M Consolidated 4-0 on Friday, April 11 in the Class 5A Division 1 state championship at Birkelbach Field. As the buzzer sounded and Consolidated fans roared with applause, Panther players walked slowly and somberly to the sideline while the Tigers rushed to each other in celebration, starting a dogpile.
Although Heritage coach Monte Pace said the loss hurts, he made a point to keep the state championship in perspective.
“There’s not many teams that are playing today,” Pace said. “We’re one of a very elite few, and what happened today doesn’t take away from the great season that we had.”
Colleyville Heritage (17-3-1) was looking for its first state championship since the 1999 season. A&M Consolidated (16-0-1) won its first state title in its first state tournament appearance.
“It’s hard because it hurts, and the girls are disappointed, and I get that. At the end of the day, we’re proud of them, we love them, and we’ll be back.”
At first, the first half was a defensive fight for possession. That changed in the 30th minute, when The Panther defense charged the ball, continuing the same aggressive playstyle they’ve thrived with all season. The press created a scoring opportunity for Consolidated sophomore forward Jolee Ingram, who found herself on a breakaway.
Ingram stayed composed, cutting left and setting up a terrific shot for a goal.
“We fell behind there,” Pace said. “It’s always tough to get your confidence back once you fall behind. But we’re still in the game at that point and having chances. And the second goal was just killer.”
With just over five minutes left in the second half, Consolidated drew another breakaway. Liz Garrett took a shot and scored, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
At that point, Colleyville Heritage lost some confidence, according to Pace. He credited A&M Consolidated for a well-played, physical game.
“It wasn’t the team I’m used to watching,” Pace said. “So, it was just kind of tough. I think sometimes things kind of spiral out of control on you, and it’s hard to get back in. And this is one of those days.”
The Tigers continued their offensive onslaught, adding two more goals to put the game out of reach. Ingram added her second goal off a rebound in the 63rd minute, and Lainey Hermanson finished the scoring in the 73rd minute.
Colleyville Heritage’s offense, spearheaded by a group of talented sophomores, struggled to create scoring opportunities, and the team finished with three shots. Although it was a bad day for the team, there are still lots of reasons for optimism; Colleyville Heritage will return the vast majority of its core players, a group that arguably has the most experience in Texas.
“We’ve got a good core group of players,” Pace said of his team. “We’re gonna have a good year next year, and we’ll try to work our way back here again. But, yeah, it’s just hard. There’s not a whole lot you can say, losing in the state title game, four to nothing — that’s a tough day. ... all credit to A&M Consolidated. They really took it to us today.”
This story was originally published April 11, 2025 at 6:17 PM.
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