Their legs were tired as the long, 110-minute game came to a close in the second half of overtime. As game clock was running out, so was the team’s time in the regional quarterfinals. With the final whistle, their successful, memorable season came to an unfortunate end.
Hard-fought until the end, the varsity soccer team was defeated by North Mesquite in the second half of overtime. After a long game that saw the Rangers winning by a goal until the final fifteen minutes in regulation, the Rangers season came to an end with a 3-1 loss.
Although the season ends in heartbreak, the Ranger’s journey through the playoffs was one to remember. The team began their run with an overtime win over Richardson with a final score of 3-1. The team showed their depth, with three players, Junior Ethan Moore and Seniors Patrick Howell and Nathan Corey, finding the back of the net throughout the game.
After the first round victory, fourth-year player Griffin Scott ’16 noted that, “The victory in the first round gave us some momentum for the upcoming rounds. We’re all determined to win, and we really hoped that we could continue our playoff run.” Scott was responsible for supplying the corner kick that allowed Howell’s header to give the team the lead in overtime. Scott, just one of many college commits, has committed to Washington and Lee to continue his soccer career.
The Rangers extended their season with a second-round win over North Garland in the UIL Area round. Emerging victorious with a final score of 2-1, the team won with goals from Christian Lerma ’18 and Johnny Balok ’16. Lerma, who got his sixth goal of the season, was the first to score in the second half after a scoreless first half. Later, on a free kick by Scott, Johnny Balok headed the ball to put the Rangers up by two. After a North Garland goal, the defense kicked into high gear to prevent any more goals to disrupt their lead.
After the victory, Adam Garcia ’16 noted that, “We’re [giving] everything that we have in each game. For us seniors, we have to play every game like it is our last.” With strong defensive performances and a strong showing at goalie by Luke Ostrander ’17, the team emerged victoriously, proving that this game was not the last for their seniors.
Finally, the Varsity Rangers reached the third round, the UIL Regional Quarterfinal game against North Mesquite. With a goal off of a penalty kick with eleven minutes remaining in regulation, North Mesquite equalized the game, bringing the game to a 1-1 tie. After a long, taxing twenty-five minutes, North Mesquite pulled ahead with six minutes remaining. After attacking relentlessly, the Jesuit goal was left vulnerable, allowing Mesquite to score the third goal to put away the Rangers.
After Wednesday’s game, Coach DeLong commented on the performance. “We played well enough to win the game, but when you’re playing against a good team, they’re good enough to make plays too. The team put out a tremendous effort, and although I’m not happy about losing, they were a good group of boys and I was glad to be a part of it.” The team, who played one of their best games of the season, just fell short of winning the game, a close match that came down to a few good plays by the other team.
Although the 2015-2016 season has ended, the future of the Ranger soccer team is very bright. While the team will lose several great players and team leaders when the seniors are away in college, the experience gained by underclassmen will surely pay off when they lead the team next year, hopefully to a season that will be just as successful as the one that has just ended.
