Boys soccer playoffs: Duncanville wins in penalties after a season-saving bicycle kick

Below you will find coverage of the 2024 UIL boys soccer regional semifinals. This post will be updated as more games become final.

To see results for other regional semifinal boys soccer games, click here. For coverage of the girls regional tournament, click here.

Class 6A Region I

Prosper 3, El Paso Pebble Hills 1

Unfazed by an early deficit, Hayden Crotts scored a pair of goals sandwiched around another by Caden Berg in a Class 6A Region I semifinal victory Friday afternoon in McKinney.

“I knew if we were patient we would create the opportunities,’’ said Prosper first-year head coach David Blackburn.

Prosper (20-3-1), playing in its first 6A regional tournament, advances to the title game set for noon Saturday in McKinney.

Pebble Hills (22-4) grabbed the lead midway through the first half on a 25-yard shot by Tristan Edwards tucked perfectly in the upper right corner.

Prosper equalized five minutes before intermission on a clever free kick played softly in the middle and eventually onto the foot of Crotts who directed his shot from close range into the right side of the net for a 1-1 intermission score.

“That’s a play we’ve practiced, but never used in game,’’ Blackburn explained. “We don’t really have a name for it, but it was the perfect spot on the field to use it.’’

Berg put Prosper ahead with a bending highlight-reel of a free kick just inside the near post from 25 yards seven minutes into the second half.

“Caden’s been so good on set pieces all season,’’ said Blackburn.

Crotts delivered an insurance goal within the final 10 minutes, chasing down his own rebound and calmly converting into an open net for a 3-1 lead.

“You learn to keep going until the ball goes out of play and anticipate where the ball is going,’’ said Crotts, who pulled into a tie with Berg for the team scoring lead with 21 goals.

— Randy Jennings

Flower Mound 1 (4), El Paso Eastlake 1 (2)

Flower Mound senior goalkeeper Morgan English stopped two shootout attempts and all four Jaguars teammates converted on their chances in a tense Class 6A Region I semifinal Friday evening.

“I saw one of their shooters looking hard at one corner so I figured he was going to the other one on the first stop,’’ said English. “On the other I just got lucky.’’

Flower Mound (21-2-2) saw its deepest playoff run since winning the 6A crown in 2019 extended, but it will be a quick turnaround for the noon regional final against Prosper.

Eastlake (19-8-1) outshot Flower Mound through regulation and the overtime period. Flower Mound won the shootout, 4-2.

“When the playoffs start we practice shootouts, it is the last thing we work on, but only in the playoffs,’’ said Flower Mound coach Brandon Gray.

Landon Deleeuw, a senior forward, staked Flower Mound to a 1-0 lead with seven minutes remaining in the first half from 10 yards right of the goal.

Three minutes later junior midfielder Chris Mendez tied for Eastlake with a powerful shot from 20 yards for a 1-1 intermission score that held up through regulation and overtime.

Eastlake keeper Brandon Salas denied Flower Mound’s bid to take the lead with eight minutes remaining in regulation with a diving stop of a Deleeuw penalty kick.

— Randy Jennings

Class 6A Region II

Duncanville 1 (4), The Woodlands 1 (1)

ROUND ROCK — As the ball and, with it, Duncanville’s last chance to save its season fell toward Nathanael Zozaya, he shifted into position for an attempt he’d never managed to do before, he said, not even in practice. With his back to the goal, he jumped and kicked his legs up over his head at the ball.

Minutes earlier, Duncanville substitute players had kneeled on the sideline with their hands clasped together waiting for a free kick that went wide. Zozaya’s bicycle kick in the final minute of regulation on Friday afternoon against the Woodlands answered their prayers. The timing and connection were perfect, Zozaya’s acrobatic shot flew into the top right corner of the net and leveled the scores at one goal apiece.

Another 20 minutes of scoreless overtime soccer later, Panthers goalie Jesus Diaz took over the penalty shootout, stopping the first two Woodlands shots, to complete the improbable comeback. Duncanville advanced to the regional final and will remain at the Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex to play Cypress Woods on Saturday morning at 11.

The Panthers are seeking their first state tournament appearance since 1986 after “knocking on the door” numerous times over the last few seasons but falling short in the regional semifinal or before, their head coach Nuno Passos said.

Despite controlling much of the possession and having far more shot attempts than the Woodlands, Duncanville couldn’t find an opening goal. The Panthers’ best chance came midway through the second half. Adrian Beltran received a pass from Erick Ibarra in the box, turned past his defender and fired a shot along the ground that was pushed away. No Duncanville player reached the rebound sitting inside the six-yard box.

Soon after, the Woodlands struck. Luke Woodland picked up the ball just outside the box, found a pocket of space and powered his shot past Diaz, who got both hands on it, and into the top right corner of the net. It’s the first goal Duncanville had allowed in this year’s playoffs. The referees disallowed a Panthers equalizer three minutes later, claiming a push in the back before the ball was headed in by Eduardo Alaniz. Duncanville’s increased urgency eventually earned the corner kick that led to Zozaya’s bicycle kick leveler.

Duncanville was confident in where the Woodlands shooters wanted to place their penalty kicks, Passos said, and it showed. Diaz dove to his low left on the first two kicks and comfortably made the save. All four Duncanville penalty kick shooters scored to clinch the regional final appearance.

— Aro Majumder

Class 5A Region I

El Paso Burges 1 (3), Denton Ryan 1 (1)

WICHITA FALLS – El Paso Burges keeper Emiliano Arteaga regrouped after allowing Denton Ryan’s first penalty kick to get through, stopping the next two and helping Burges prevail with a 3-1 edge over Denton Ryan in PKs and advance to the Region I-5A final.

Burges plays Midlothian High for a state tournament berth at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow. Ryan finishes the season 19-4-3.

Friday’s Region I-5A semifinal match ended tied at 1-1 after regulation and overtime, sending the match in penalty kicks.

Ryan keeper Edgar Estrada took on the role of attacker as his team’s first participant in PKs, hammering the ball into the top right corner. He then went into the net and saw Burges first PK attempt soar over the goal.

Estrada turned out to be the only Ryan attacker to find the net with Arteaga stuffing the next two attempts.

Meanwhile, Burges next three attackers – Gael Cruz, Jacob Mendoza and Ozkar Gomez – found the net with Gomez’s kick clinching the win for Burges.

Ryan held a 1-0 lead at halftime thanks to a blast by Giovanni Orozco in the 22nd minute. Burges found the equalizer less than six minutes into the second half with Victor Quintana setting up Alfonso Flores.

Ryan controlled much of the action in the second half and had three shots ricochet off the crossbar or post in the final 20 minutes.

– Jonathan Hull

Class 5A Region II

Frisco Wakeland 2, McKinney North 0

CARROLLTON – Tanner Bowman, a defender for the Frisco Wakeland soccer team, said Friday’s playoff against McKinney North was an example of the extra effort his team’s defense digs for in the playoffs. That effort led to outstanding performance in a postseason full of them for the Wolverines.

Wakeland held McKinney North to four shots on goal while an opportunistic offense took care of the rest in a 2-0 win in a Class 5A Region II semifinal at Standridge Stadium. McKinney North averaged 4.0 goals per game entering Friday, but efforts by defenders such as Bowman, Evan Tucker and David Word would help Wakeland hand McKinney North just its second shutout of the season, the first a 3-0 decision to Irving on Jan. 12.

Word especially stood out as he came off the bench after a Wakeland yellow card in the fourth minute. Adrian Rodrigues got the clean sheet in goal, making his last save as time expired. Wakeland has out-scored its four playoff opponents 12-1 with three shutouts.

“We definitely had to lock it down extra tonight,” Bowman said. “We were really organized and communicated well and our keeper (Rodrigues) made no mistakes tonight. That was really crucial to our victory tonight.

“Our extra effort was extra fire. The closer we get to state we can feel it a little more.”

Wakeland (17-5-3), ranked No. 5 in The News’ Class 5A/Others area poll, advances to its ninth region final since 2010. Wakeland, which has won five state titles in the same time frame, will play West Mesquite in the Region II final at 1 p.m. Saturday at Standridge Stadium.

Wakeland beat West Mesquite 3-2 in overtime in the area round last season. No. 3-ranked McKinney North (18-3-3) was denied a return trip to the region-final round.

Wakeland’s Thomas Hayes opened up the scoring in the 26th minute, taking an errant pass and chipping it into the left corner of the goal. Max Parra nearly added to Wakeland’s lead in the 38th minute but his header caromed off the crossbar.

North’s best chance to score may have been in the 60th minute when Ben Mulrooney got free for a breakaway, but his 15-yard shot was too high. Jack Minsky got an insurance goal for Wakeland off a long Mayank Dutta pass with 7:20 left.

Wakeland had to work hard for its own shots as North held the Wolverines to seven shots on goal.

“They have a great defense. They were strong in the back and didn’t give up a lot of chances. The second half I thought we played better on offense,” Wakeland coach Andy Holt said. “They were up there with the best defenses we played this year.”

Ethan Wray had three second-half saves in goal for North in the second half.

– Rick Kretzschmar

West Mesquite 4, Kingwood Park 1

CARROLLTON – Friday’s was the first time West Mesquite had played in a region semifinal in 15 years. The Wranglers didn’t appear to get the word that nerves and execution flaws usually come with such a game, especially with such a postseason layoff.

Playing with confidence, West Mesquite was in control most of the way and eventually pulled away for a 4-1 win over Kingwood Park in a Class 5A Region II semifinal at Standridge Stadium. The spirit of West Mesquite may have been embodied by freshman Mario Dominguez in 66th minute. Fighting through what appeared to be a Park handball that wasn’t called and possibly an additional foul, Dominguez nailed a 13-yard shot between the legs of a Park defender into the left corner of the goal to give West Mesquite a 3-1 lead.

“He’s a freshman. He doesn’t know any better. He should have been rewarded a penalty kick, but he just fought right through it,” said West Mesquite coach Jeremiah Villarreal with a laugh. “This team is mental giants. They know what they are capable of. They have put in the preparation and they are confident.

“They are focused every pre-game, every match. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

West Mesquite (22-4-1), ranked No. 8 in The News’ Class 5A/Others area poll, advanced to the Region II final at 1 p.m. Saturday at Standridge Stadium. It’s the first time the program has advanced to the region-final round in school history. Park (20-3-2), which was the Class 5A state runner-up to Frisco Wakeland in 2021, had a 12-game undefeated streak snapped.

West Mesquite was in control for most of the first half with a 7-2 edge in shots on goal, but the Wranglers were not able to score until the 39th minute when Andrew Castellanos rebounded his own shot for a goal. Castellanos was set up by an accurate corner kick from the left side by Romario Luviano.

West Mesquite made it 2-0 in the 59th minute when Alex Valdez intercepted an errant Park pass to set up a Christian Cabrera goal. Approximately two minutes later Park’s Chase Bennett scored a header, set up by a baseline pass from Ethan Segura.

That would be the only time Park out-witted West Mesquite goalie Marco Pena, who was outstanding in the second half. Out of Pena’s six second-half saves four were high difficulty, including a leaping poke of a Finn Bruce blast from the left side in the 72nd minute.

Villarreal said Pena’s play kept his team in the game. Pena combined for the win with Angel Sanchez, who made two first-half saves.

“I like that save because it was a hard shot, it dipped at the end and there was a lot of wind,” Pena said. “Ever since we won district we have had more confidence. I’m hoping we can win the region final, and state.”

Luviano iced the win by converting a penalty kick with 4:40 remaining.

– Rick Kretzschmar

Class 4A Region II

Frisco Panther Creek 2, Palestine 1

TYLER — Jonathan Martinez scored on a free kick from about 25 yards in the second overtime to lift Frisco Panther Creek to a 2-1 victory over perennial contender Palestine on a sunswept Friday in a Class 4A Region II soccer semifinal at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.

Panther Creek (18-5-3) advances to meet Kilgore (24-2-2) in the regional final, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday. The winner advances to the Class 4A state tournament next week in Georgetown.

“Really great win for our team just because we are a second-year program and Palestine is a great program that has been here many, many years,” Panther Creek Coach Nathan McBride said. “So just being able to compete with them, let alone beat them is a huge accomplishment.”

Palestine was seeking their sixth state tournament appearance.

Palestine took a 1-0 lead as Tony Sachez scored with a solid kick to the left side of the net at 30:39 of the first half.

Panther Creek tied things up on their second shot at the goal as Griffin Shelley headed in a ball off the corner kick from Ryder Astorga at 7:49 of the first half.

Both goalkeepers, Panther Creek’s Mason Szymanski and Palestine’s Chris Vigil, made tough stops against the attacks as the teams went to overtime tied 1-1.

After the first 10-minute OT, Panther Creek broke the tie as Martinez rocketed a ball into the net for the lead with 4:07 showing.

Then it was up to the defense. Palestine put on the pressure and Szymanski made one final stop on a tough kick from Sanchez.

Palestine ends its season at 25-5.

— Phil Hicks

Kilgore 2, Wilmer-Hutchins 0

TYLER — After three straight one-goal victories in the postseason, Wilmer-Hutchins went into halftime deadlocked 0-0 with Kilgore.

Kilgore got two second-half goals from freshman Enrique Salazar, and Bulldog goalkeeper Chris Martinez was able to save all three of the Eagles’ second-half attempts on goal as Kilgore was able to take a 2-0 victory in the Class 4A Region II boys soccer semifinals on Friday afternoon at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.

Wilmer-Hutchins put pressure on Kilgore multiple times in the first 13 minutes of the second half, but to no avail. Salazar’s first goal came with 24:21 on the clock, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

Kilgore looked to add to its lead in the final 13 minutes when Leo Yzaguirre sent a shot to the goal that was saved by Wilmer-Hutchins goalkeeper Fermin Pantoja. Diego Rojas put the ball into the net on the rebound, but the officials called the goal off with 12:20 to play. Exactly 33 seconds later, Salazar was in the right place at the right time and put the ball into the back of the net for the 2-0 advantage.

Pantoja delivered multiple 60-yard free kicks for the Eagles (19-6) in the second half, but it didn’t amount to any goals.

Esteban Quezada was the one taking the free kicks in the first half, and he forced Martinez to make multiple saves. Kilgore put three shots on goal in the first half, including one with 1:59 remaining, and Pantoja was able to keep the game scoreless at the break.

Kilgore (23-2-2) will face either Palestine or Frisco Panther Creek in the regional final at 11 a.m. Saturday in Tyler.

— Brandon Ogden

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