AUSTIN – Jesuit is one match closer to its preseason goal of winning a second UIL state soccer tournament after blanking The Woodlands 3-0 in a boys Class 5A Region II semifinal Friday at Round Rock ISD’s Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex.
Playing with a wind at their back in the first half, the Rangers (22-2) were off just a bit on their passing, and the offense was close but failed to put the ball into the net, leaving the match even at 0-0 at halftime.
The second half was all Rangers, all the time, as Jesuit scored three goals and narrowly missed four more scoring opportunities.
Josh Dillon got Jesuit on the scoreboard first, and the Rangers added a goal by Brandon Ozier with 14:37 left.
Jesuit iced it on a Sean Badger goal with 6:39 left.
Butch Hart
El Paso Bel Air 1, Plano 0: In Midland, Christian Garcia's goal in the 54th minute proved the difference for El Paso Bel Air in a Class 5A Region I boys semifinal.
El Paso Bel Air (23-6) will advance to play Mansfield in Saturday's Region I-5A final, scheduled for 2 p.m.
Prior to Garcia's goal, the two perennial playoff powers played to a standstill.
But early in the second half, Garcia took a pass from Jesus Perez and made a sliding kick that slid over the head of Plano's keeper for the game's lone goal.
Len Hayward
Mansfield 4, El Paso Americas 3: In Midland, Mansfield forward Michael Greenfield finished a nice pass from teammate Matthew Buckwatler late in the game to give the Tigers a victory against Americas in a Region I-5A boys soccer semifinal.
Greenfield’s goal in the 75th minute broke a 3-3 tie as the Tigers were able to stave off a furious second-half comeback from the Trailblazers, who erased a 3-0 first-half deficit to tie the score in the final 40 minutes.
The Tigers (20-5-4) built a 3-0 lead in the first half on goals from Trevor Kistler, Buckwalter and Tanner Tate.
El Paso Del Valle 1, Crowley 0: In Wichita Falls, Crowley saw the longest playoff winning streak in school history come to an end with a loss to Del Valle.
Del Valle’s winning goal came early in the game off a free kick in the ninth minute. Justis Bradley scored on a header.
Brent Shirley