With the soccer season having come to an end, the Jesuit Varsity Soccer Team left their mark as they pushed through the 2026 UIL State Playoffs. As a result, the Rangers were able to make it to the Quarter Finals, before their journey came to an end at the hands of Plano West. This article recaps their Playoff run from start to finish, including both their highs and lows.
Setting the Stage
Jesuit’s dominant victory in their premier game against South Grand Prairie is a testament to the team’s consistent effort throughout the main season, which concluded with them achieving a record of 17-0-2 that placed them in a league of their own. Even in the first minutes of the game, Jesuit’s control and composure already proved overwhelming for Grand Prairie. Cooper McGough ’26 put the Rangers on the board at the ten minute mark after an assist from Mason Farley ’27. Corbyn Wendorf ’26 joined McGough 11 minutes later as he barreled through the defense and gave Jesuit a 2-0 lead. McGough then concluded the beatdown in the 36th minute with a penalty kick, leaving Jesuit with a huge lead at the half. From there, Jesuit let the clock play for them as they smothered any offensive ideas from South Grand Prairie. Despite conceding a goal with five minutes left, Jesuit was not deterred and rounded out their dominant performance with their first Playoff win.
Comeback
In contrast to their previous victory, the Rangers’ next game against Marcus would be much less smooth than the first round. Jesuit found itself down 2-0 early on, conceding goals in the 13th and 19th minutes. A thrown ball from Zane Roland ’27 allowed Cooper McGough to retaliate with a goal in the 23rd minute, and the scored stayed the same through the half and until the 70th minute, when the Marcus Marauders scored their third goal of the game. With little time left, it seemed as though Jesuit’s Playoff run was coming to an end.
However, the Rangers wouldn’t give up quite yet. With less than three minutes left in the game, Luca Shipley ’26 rocketed the ball into the back of the goal from behind the 20-yard line, bringing the score to 2-3 and giving Jesuit a shred of hope. Around 50 seconds later, Cooper McGough tied the score with a goal from outside the box. As a result, the Ranger fans’ cheering echoed throughout the arena as both teams moved to double overtime.
“The nights leading up to the game, I spent hours watching film and taking notes to share with the team. We were ready for it, or so we thought until we were down 3-1 with 10 minutes left. It seemed impossible, like everything was slipping away, the dream I had suddenly was unreachable. But, sometimes in moments like that, the character of a team can do the impossible. Everyone flipped a switch and together we did the impossible.” -Senior Captain Christian Bilger ’26
The score remained the same throughout overtime, and both teams moved on to penalty kicks. Both teams went 4-4 in the initial five kicks. They both then consecutively made their next four, and each team had their tenth stopped. On the eleventh kick, Matthew Dewers ’27 scored, but the Marcus player missed, giving Jesuit the win and allowing them to move on to the next round. The crowd erupted as the Rangers celebrated their hard-earned victory.
“Marcus was a really good team and controlled most of the game. We pushed [Corbyn] Wendorf up to midfield to try and take back the game. In the last three minutes, we were able to score two goals and tie the score. While some may call it a miracle, it really shows the team’s work ethic and ability to keep fighting.” -Head Coach Charlie DeLong
The Long Haul
After the nail biting win against Marcus, the Rangers would have their next match against El Paso Coronado on March 26. After a five hour drive, one would think that the Rangers would be stiff and not ready to play. The team told a different story as they laid on pressure from the start, completely overwhelming their opponents. The first half remained a stalemate, but it was clear that Jesuit was the dominant team. Then came the second half, and the team showed no mercy. Christian Bilger ’26, Luca Shipley, Julian Jamie ’26, and Zane Roland joined each other on the scoreboard while the Rangers only conceded one goal in return, making victory impossible for the Thunderbirds and sending Jesuit rocketing into the Quarter Finals.
End of the Road
Jesuit then moved on to play the team that would become their ultimate roadblock: Plano West. Our northern neighbors, ranked around the 20s before the season, had previously upset the Southlake Carroll Dragons, a highly anticipated matchup for the Rangers. Going into the game, Jesuit knew the threat they were facing but remained determined to make it to the State Championship. However, tragedy struck in the first six minutes as West executed a lethal give-and-go in the box, taking the lead. 10 minutes later, West increased the gap with a goal at 16:25, steepening the Ranger’s trail to victory. However, Jesuit fans received a spark of hope at 33 minutes when Christian Bilger sent a screamer to the back of the net from a rebounded corner kick, bring the score up to 2-1. The Rangers battled intensely for the next 47 minutes, leaving everything they had on the field, but unfortunately not able to break through the nigh-impenetrable defense of Plano West. With a final score of 2-1, Jesuit’s Playoff run was over.
What’s Next?
When everything is said and done, only one team walks away with the trophy. The rest of the teams have to look elsewhere to find out what they really brought home from the season and ask themselves the question, “What was it all for?” Coach DeLong answered this puzzling question in his inspiring speech at the Postseason Banquet. He believed that while the boys weren’t able to take home the victory, they displayed for the whole state of Texas their determination, indomitable spirit, and a shining example of what it means to follow Jesuit values.
As the seniors go off to college and start the next step of their lives, they leave a void behind them. However, Coach DeLong and everyone else believes that the juniors and sophomores will step up to the plate and continue to be shining examples of what it means to be a Jesuit student-athlete. The team will be training hard to prepare for another incredible season next year, and we all can’t wait to see the Rangers back in action.
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