Arlington Martin girls only area 6A team in soccer regionals
Arlington Martin’s change at head coach didn’t derail the team from heading back to the girls soccer Class 6A Region I tournament this year.
“I’m not nervous, but it is a little bit different because now it’s kind of my plan that we’ve put into place,” said coach Sabina Harrington, a Martin assistant coach when last year’s team fell in the Region I semifinal to Coppell. “But I’m not nervous at all. I’m actually really excited.”
Martin is the last remaining girls or boys area team in the 6A playoffs after several of the favorites were stunned in early rounds.
“It’s shaken up to be a crazy tournament,” Harrington said, noting that two of Martin’s three losses this season came against Southlake Carroll and Trophy Club Nelson — a couple of those aforementioned favorites.
I think they’ll still be a little nervous, but that experience definitely helps you.
Arlington Martin girls soccer coach Sabina Harrington
on her players returning to regionals a year after losing to Coppell.Region I is open for the taking, and Harrington hopes last year’s taste can help the team quench its thirst this season.
“We’ve got quite a few kids that carried over from last year’s team, so they’ve done this before,” she said. “They’ve done the traveling. I think they’ll still be a little nervous, but that experience definitely helps you.”
Martin may be the only local 6A representative back in the regional tournament, but the area is well represented in 5A, and Kennedale is still defending last season’s 4A state title. A look at the regional tournaments:
GIRLS
CLASS 6A
Region I
Semifinals
Arlington Martin (21-3-1) vs. Plano (12-5-4), 11 a.m. Friday, Grande Comm. Stadium, Midland
Odessa Permian (18-6-2) vs. Flower Mound (13-3-6), 1:30 p.m. Friday, Grande Comm. Stadium, Midland
Final
Noon Saturday, Grande Comm. Stadium, Midland
Notable: Martin is the only district champion to reach the Region I tournament and the only of these teams that was ranked in the top 20 of the final Texas Girls Coaches Association poll heading into the playoffs. Flower Mound, as the fourth-place team from 6-6A, has already defeated two No. 1 seeds in this postseason: Trophy Club Nelson and Allen. Permian has needed overtime to win its previous two playoff games. Plano has outscored its opponents 10-4 in the postseason.
CLASS 5A
Region I
Semifinals
El Paso (23-1-0) vs. Wichita Falls Rider (17-2-3), 10 a.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Wichita Falls
El Paso Jefferson (21-3-1) vs. Grapevine (17-6-3), 12:30 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Wichita Falls
Final
10 a.m. Saturday, Memorial Stadium, Wichita Falls
Notable: All four of these teams were ranked in the top 25 of the final regular season TGCA poll, with El Paso leading the way at No. 4. The Tigers’ only loss was 1-0 to Jefferson, which claimed top seed from 1-5A. Jefferson has yet to allow a goal in the postseason and hasn’t been scored on in seven straight matches. Grapevine is seeking a return to the state tournament after winning this region a year ago. Rider finished runner-up in 5-5A, behind a Wichita Falls team that lost 4-0 to Grapevine in the regional quarterfinal.
Region II
Semifinals
Frisco (21-2-2) vs. Mansfield Legacy (17-4-1), 7 p.m. Friday, Standridge Stadium, Carrollton
Final
1 p.m. Saturday, Standridge Stadium, Carrollton
Notable: Three of these four teams are back from last year’s regional tournament. Lake Ridge has needed extra time to prevail through the previous two rounds, while Centennial is outscoring opponents 9-1 this postseason. Legacy hasn’t lost a match since Feb. 9 and has dominated playoff opposition, winning its three matches by a combined 14-0. Frisco shut down last year’s 5A state champ, Wylie East, in the regional quarterfinals and hasn’t lost since Jan. 29.
CLASS 4A
Region I
Semifinals
Abilene Wylie (21-4-0) vs. Melissa (18-3-3), 11 a.m. Friday, Kennedale HS
Stephenville (13-4-2) vs. Kennedale (23-2-0), 1:30 p.m. Friday, Kennedale HS
Final
11 a.m. Saturday, Kennedale HS
Notable: All four teams are back from last season’s regional tournament. Kennedale is the defending state champion; its two losses this season are to 6A playoff teams Midlothian and Arlington Martin. The Wildcats have outscored playoff opposition 24-3 and have defeated all three of these teams already this season. Stephenville has yet to surrender a goal in the postseason while scoring 11. Kennedale defeated Stephenville 5-0 in January. Kennedale beat Melissa 4-3 in last year’s regional final.
BOYS
CLASS 5A
Region I
Semifinals
El Paso Bel Air (14-7-3) vs. Wichita Falls Rider (14-8-4), 3 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Wichita Falls
El Paso Eastlake (17-2-4) vs. Grapevine (15-8-2), 5:30 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Wichita Falls
Final
12:30 p.m. Saturday, Memorial Stadium, Wichita Falls
Notable: Grapevine, in coach Heath Bullard’s final season, is seeking a return to the state tournament for the first time since 1997. Rider lost its first six matches of the season before turning things around. The offense also got a shot in the arm by the recent return of scorer Josh Peloquin. Bel Air has scored four goals in each of its first three playoff games and made the regional final a year ago. One of 2-5A champion Eastlake’s two losses this season was to Bel Air, the other was a forfeit to Del Valle.
Region II
Semifinals
Frisco Centennial (16-3-3) vs. Red Oak (14-4-4), 10 a.m. Friday, Standridge Stadium, Carrollton
Final
10 a.m. Saturday, Standridge Stadium, Carrollton
Notable: Undefeated Wakeland lost in the regional semifinal last season and its lone blemish on the schedule this season was a Jan. 9 draw with Hebron. The Wolverines have allowed just one goal since the beginning of March. Two of Centennial’s three losses were to Wakeland. Red Oak has knocked off district champions Pine Tree and Nacogdoches en route to the regional tournament after finishing third in District 14-5A, which was won by Lake Ridge. Red Oak and Lake Ridge split their season series. The Lake Ridge Eagles have yet to concede a goal in the playoffs, having outscored opponents 11-0. The Eagles have posted consecutive 1-0 victories against Tyler and 2015 state champ Lufkin.
This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Arlington Martin girls only area 6A team in soccer regionals."