H.S. soccer: Abilene High girls knock off Amarillo, roll into region semifinals

WOODROW – The Abilene High girls soccer team’s historic season continues.

Laila Brown’s second goal of the game, this one with 31:28 left in regulation, snapped a 2-2 tie and lifted the Lady Eagles past Amarillo High 3-2 in a Region I-5A quarterfinal game Friday at Lubbock-Cooper High School.

Abilene High (18-3-2) advances to play defending region champion Grapevine (22-3-2) at 3 p.m. Friday in the region semifinals at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls.

Amarillo High, the District 3-5A champion, scored the game’s first goal. Mollie Ferro scored 2:21 into the game on a one-on-one breakaway.

Zoe Vann tied the game with 31:42 left in the first half, and Brown got her first goal 4:58 before halftime to send the Lady Eagles into the break leading 2-1.

The Lady Sandies tied the game in the first five minutes of the second half, before Brown came up with the game-winning goal.

It’s the Lady Eagles’ first region tournament appearance since 2001, when they lost to Mansfield 3-0 in the region semifinals.

Abilene High hadn’t won a playoff game since 2007 before this season or won multiple postseason games since 2002. The Lady Eagles won District 4-5A this year – their first league title since 1992.

Grapevine made its fifth state tournament appearance last year, falling to Frisco Wakeland 3-2 in overtime in the championship game. The Mustangs also reached the state final in 2018 and 2016 – losing both in shootouts to Wakeland and Frisco Centennial, respectively. Wakeland also beat Grapevine 3-2 to reach the 2021 finals.

Wichita Falls Rider (24-3-2) plays El Paso Andress (23-4) in the other semifinal at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Memorial Stadium. Andress beat El Paso Del Valle in a shootout Saturday in El Paso. The Lady Eagles beat Wylie 5-4 in overtime in the previous round.

Rider has three state tournament appearances, all consecutively (2007-09). The Lady Raiders played in the Class 4A title game in 2008, losing to McKinney Boyd 3-1.

Grapevine beat Midlothian High 3-2 on Friday, while Rider beat Midlothian Heritage, a region finalist last year, 1-0. Del Valle plays Andress on Saturday.

The region final is at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium with the winner advancing to the state tournament on April 13 at Birkelbach Field in Georgetown.

Bel Air tops Eagles

At Midland, Rodolfo Gonzalez and Ruben Esparza scored two goals each as No. 1 El Paso Bel Air beat Abilene High 5-0 in a Region I-5A boys quarterfinal game at Astound Broadband Stadium.

Abilene High ends its season at 12-8-5. The Eagles, the second-place team from District 4-5A, hadn’t won a playoff game in 18 years until this season. AHS reached the region quarterfinals that year, after a first-round bye as a district champion.

“Unfortunately, our season came to an end against of the best teams in Texas,” AHS coach Roy Castillo said. “My kids gave it their all today and have nothing to hang their heads about.

“I’m so proud of my kids this season. They accomplished so much. … This season was fun, exciting and historic and definitely unforgettable.”

Bel Air advances to the Region I-5A tournament, which will be Friday and Saturday at Wichita Falls’ Memorial Stadium.

The Highlanders (25-0-1), who won a state title in 2019, play Burleson Centennial (16-7-3) at 12:30 a.m. Friday in the semifinals.

The other semifinal pits District 4-5A champion Lubbock Monterey (21-0-4) against Midlothian High (22-2-2) at 10 a.m. Friday. The region championship is 10 a.m. Saturday.

Region I-5A tournament

At Wichita Falls Memorial

BOYS

Semifinals

Lubbock Monterey (21-0-4) vs. Midlothian High (22-2-2), 10 a.m. Friday

El Paso Bel Air (25-0-1) vs. Burleson Centennial (16-7-3), 12:30 p.m. Friday.

Championship

Semifinal winners, 10 a.m. Saturday

GIRLS

Semifinals

Abilene High (18-3-2) vs. Grapevine (22-3-2), 3 p.m. Friday

Wichita Falls Rider (24-3-2) vs. El Paso Andress (23-4), 5:30 p.m. Friday

Championship

Semifinal winners, 12:30 p.m. Saturday

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Abilene High edges Amarillo High in Region I-5A soccer quarterfinals