The Jesuit Dallas Soccer Team showed up and showed out in their final Regular Season game. On March 9, 2026, the Rangers dominated Irving Nimitz 8-0, forcing the match to end early via the Mercy Rule. The dominating performance was fitting, as the Rangers were celebrating the seniors of the Class of 2026. They now turn their attention towards the playoffs.
Rapid Fire
The Rangers started out hot. It became clear from the first ten minutes of the game that the Nimitz Vikings were in for a long day. Dorian Diaz ’26 led the way with two early goals in the fourth and eighth minutes. Julian Jaime ’26 was quick to follow with a goal of his own in the thirteenth minute. Cooper McGough ’26 scored the next two with goals in the sixteenth and nineteenth minutes. To close out first-half scoring, recent Elon University Commit Corbyn Wendorf ’26 put one in the back of the net 22 minutes into the game.
“It was a great GAME; we’ve been going strong. we started out pretty rocky but eventually figured it out. it was a great memorable season but we’re looking forward to playoffs as a highly ranked team.” -Captain Christian Biliger ’26
Total Knock Out
Nimitz looked to cut into this massive lead coming out of the half, but Luca Shipley ’26 made sure the Vikings stayed put. In addition to two assists, the senior scored a goal eight minutes into the half. Cooper McGough sealed a hat-trick for himself and the win for his team, scoring a goal in the 52nd minute. That proved to be the nail in the coffin, as the game was ended shortly after by the Mercy Rule.
Interview with Luca Shipley ’26
What makes this team good?
“What makes us special is the fact that all of us are super dedicated. This is the first year that the State Championship isn’t far-fetched. Obviously last year we made a good run, losing in the State Semifinals. This is something we want to revenge [for], especially for the seniors. For some of us, it’s our last year playing soccer. Getting another UIL title as a private school is pretty special.”
How have the captains developed a winning culture?
“Yeah, I think the connectivity off the field has been really important. Every Wednesday both the JV and Varsity squads do a prayer service. It’s not just led by the captains but individuals in the team. That brings out the leadership in other people. Typically, there’s only two or three captains in the squad of twenty players. You want other people to step up and lead. I think that there’s an abundance of leadership on the team. There’s also that bonding through faith. Mr. Joubert has been really helpful as our chaplain this entire year, not only through the prayer services but in other ways as well.”
How does this team bounce back from a tough exit last year?
“The way we’ve bounced back has been not dwelling on the past. This team is completely new. Only a handful of our seniors were on Varsity last year. It’s a pretty balanced out squad. We’re focused on being something too, even to the point of running a new formation. We also work on developing our confidence in penalties. In our loss to Mesquite, it was tied 1-1. Going into penalties we had the momentum our players seemed like they didn’t have the confidence [for].”
Tune into The Roundup for Soccer Postseason coverage as they look to make a run to the State title!
