Edson Reyes and the Lehman Lobos hold a narrow lead on second-place Bastrop in District 49-4A with a key season-ending matchup against Hays looming Friday night. (Photo by Eric Guerrero)
by MARK CAUL
After the Lehman High boys soccer team secured an important win over Lockhart last week to retain its hold on second place in District 49-4A, the Lobos were all business.
They broke their post-game huddle, grabbed their belongings and exited Lobo Field knowing that a very important final week of the district season was just ahead with Hays High looming this Friday night.
The Lobos host Hays in what is likely to be a tough-as-nails matchup in the regular-season finale. Last year, the two squads got into a bench-clearing brawl at Shelton Stadium.
Hays has already clinched the district title and Lehman has sealed up a playoff spot, but that doesn’t make the game any less meaningful.
In the key win against Lockhart, senior co-captain Oscar Martinez and Richard Porche provided the Lobos all of the offense they would need as Lehman blanked the Lions 2-0.
“We played very well on defense and did a good job of taking their best player out of the game,” Lehman head coach Jay Sansom said.
Porche, a first year player on the Lobo squad, opened the scoring with one of the wildest scoring plays that Sansom can remember.
While attempting a throw-in to a teammate on an out-of-bounds play, Porche’s pass deflected off Elias Delgado and into the net for the first score of the game and a 1-0 Lehman lead.
“It obviously wasn’t something that Richard planned but it took a fortunate bounce in our favor,” Sansom laughed. “We’ll take goals any way we can get them.”
Five minutes later, Martinez took a pass and dribbled down the right sidelines and unleashed a shot that found the net from an almost impossible angle for Lehman’s second goal of the game.
Lehman’s Fernando Ortiz tallied a shutout in goal in his first varsity game, turning away a couple of late shots to preserve the Lobos shutout.
It was a must win for the Lobos, who were coming off a road loss to Bastrop a few days earlier that left the two teams in a two-way tie for second place with only two games remaining in district play.
Sansom believes that wins over Giddings and Hays would solidify their playoff seeding once the post-season commences after spring break.
“These last two games are critical for us because it will affect who we will play in the first round,” said Sansom. “We want to try and finish as high as we can to put ourselves in the best position possible.”
Lady Lobos still alive in playoff race
The Lady Lobo soccer team is also still fighting for a playoff berth of their own despite dropping a narrow 3-1 decision to first-place Bastrop last week.
Currently, the Lady Lobos are solidly in fourth place with two games remaining.
“We can still accomplish our goals if we win one of our next two games,” Lehman girls head soccer coach Nauri Garcia said. “This is the time of year that you have to be playing your best soccer.”
The Bears (9-0-1) are on the verge of clinching their first district championship since 2003 and its second in school history.
Lehman will close out the regular season with a home game against Giddings and then a road game at Hays on Friday.
The Lady Lobos made the school’s first-ever playoff appearance two years ago but exited in the first round following a loss to powerhouse Pflugerville Hendrickson.
A fourth place finish is still within their grasp, but the Lady Lobos will have to win at least one of their last two games to have a realistic shot at the district’s final playoff berth.
“Our girls have been looking forward to this for a while,” said Garcia. “Now we just have to go out and do it.”
Striker Haley Parsons is also confident that the Lady Lobos will be in the post-season.
“It will be very exciting to do what the team two years ago did,” said Parsons. “It would be a good way for the seniors on this team to finish out our last year.”
