STATE! STATE! STATE! STATE! | Kilgore boys soccer back to Georgetown, will play Boerne Wed. at 4
By SHAWN CHRISTOPHER
TYLER — Kilgore, your boys soccer team is headed back to the state tournament!
The Bulldogs took care of business on Saturday here at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium, toppling tough Panther Creek, 2-0, to capture the University Interscholastic League’s Region II Championship.
KHS scored twice in the first half: seniors Leo Yzaguirre and Adan Reyes stepping up. Yzaguirre scored with 25:53 left in the half to give the ‘Dogs a 1-0 lead, and then Reyes added to it just four minutes later, doubling it to 2-0.
That and great defense was all Kilgore needed – it was far from a cakewalk, but they got another shutout, their second of this playoff run.
Kilgore (25-2-2) will play undefeated Boerne this coming Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Georgetown’s Birkelbach Stadium in the UIL Class 4A state semifinals. Navasota and San Elizario will play just after, at 6:30.
A semifinal win over Boerne on Wednesday would send coach Hector Peralez’s team to the 4A state championship against Navasota and SE next Friday, April 12, at 2:30 p.m.
Have a look at the complete schedule here: Soccer State Tournament — University Interscholastic League.
Kilgore had to battle three tough teams this week – three playoff games in five days, a brutal gauntlet.
But the Bulldogs did it. The first two rounds were against Lufkin Hudson (3-0) and Lindale (3-2).
Kilgore’s most impressive win might have been the first one, a 1-0 win at Henderson over top-ranked Jacksonville, with Reyes scoring the only goal of the game in the second half, and then goalkeeper Chris Martinez leading a defensive effort unlike none seen for Kilgore in years.
That sent KHS to the regional tournament in Tyler, where they defeated Wilmer-Hutchins, 2-0, on Friday, both goals scored by Enrique Salazar.
On Saturday, of course, it was the Bulldogs over Panther Creek for the state tournament-clinching victory.
It was also the Bulldogs’ 100th win with the current senior class. Two more, and they’ll be state champions.
If you don’t want to click on the UIL link above, we’ll save you some time.
The schedule in Georgetown for Wednesday has the 4A girls semifinal games at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The first of the 4A boys semifinals is at 4 p.m., and the second to follow, at 6:30.
Thursday belongs to Class 5A, with the 4A girls state title game in the middle. The girls semifinals for 5A are at 9:30 and noon, respectively. The 4A girls title game is set for 2:30, with the boys 5A semis at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Friday has two girls 6A semifinals at 9:30 and noon, then the boys 4A state championship at 2:30. The 6A boys semifinals are at 5 and 7 Friday night.
The 5A and 6A girls and boys finals are Saturday.
The site of the tournament is Georgetown ISD Athletic Complex and Birkelbach Field. The address is 2275 N. Austin Avenue, Georgetown, TX ,78626. The stadium is behind Georgetown High.
Tickets are $15 for a single game, $35 for an all-tournament pass, and can be purchased right here: Athletics / Hosted Event Tickets (georgetownisd.org).
Parking is $5 a day, and can only be purchased on site, with cash only, according to the UIL soccer state tourney website.
The NFHS Network (nfhsnetwork.com) has the streaming broadcast, live, of the entire state tournament. There is a charge for it, around $12 a month, but you can cancel immediately any time, even right after Kilgore’s broadcast. The NFHS Network can be watched on mobile app, and also on a TV app, as well.