Soccer Battle For Supremacy Begins

By Terry Carter

District openers don’t often bring out the fire of a playoff contest.

But when Cinco Ranch boys’ soccer team traveled to Taylor on Tuesday, the Cougar-Mustang competition rivaled a regional final for intensity. The 1-1 tie between two District 19-6A playoff contenders demanded midseason heroics also.

After a hard-fought, scoreless first half, Taylor (scored on a quick counter, a 1-on-1 breakaway to lead 1-0 for much of the second half. Any advantage between fierce rivals simply raises the drama, however. And Cinco Ranch kept chipping away, trying to control momentum.

The Cougars’ Miguel Leeite fired a rebound shot past the Taylor goalkeeper with 1:20 left in the match to tie the score. Cinco Ranch (2-2-1, 0-0-1) even tried to score in the final minute to claim an outright victory, but Taylor’s back line stood tall to salvage the tie.

“We went down early with the little mistake in the back. We fought back and got that goal in the last minute. We are walking away with a tie,” Cinco Ranch boys’ head soccer coach Ryan Searle said.

Among the front runners in the 19-6A boys’ race are two state semifinalists and host of teams that are threats to advance to the Region III-6A soccer tournament. Among them are 6A state finalist in 2022 Seven Lakes, Tompkins, Taylor, 5A state finalist Jordan, Cinco Ranch, Paetow and more.

  • 2022 5A state semifinalist Jordan (5-0-1, 1-0) is off to a solid start this winter. They dominated Delaney, 9-0, recently as senior forward Eric Rice poured in four goals to lead the Warrior attack. The Warriors got unleashed in the second half after taking a 1-0 advantage into the intermission. Warrior Sebastian Casas added a goal and an assist, and Nico Flores did the same. Jordan also tied Ridge Point in early tournament play and controlled Mayde Creek in a 7-2 district opener on Tuesday.
  • Paetow (4-0, 1-0) slipped past a competitive Morton Ranch squad (1-3-1, 0-1), 1-0 in their 19-6A boys’ opener on Tuesday. The quick start for the Panthers includes a 15-1 scoring advantage over four opponents .
  • Seven Lakes (3-1) features a lineup of returning standouts from 2022’s 20-2-3 team that won the Region III-6A crown an captured District 19-6A when seven Katy ISD teams played. Now the addition of Paetow and Jordan intensifies the race for four postseason spots. The Spartans dropped a 2-1 season opener against The Woodlands and then rolled through the MOJO Showcase in Katy last week with 17 unanswered goals and three dominant victories. Seven Lakes got a bye in district play on Tuesday and will open league action by hosting Taylor, the only district team to defeat the Spartans last year, on Tuesday night.

Expect District 19-6A boys’ soccer action to be intense and dramatic as all stops are pulled out to challenge the favorites and finish in the top-4.

Taylor and Cinco Ranch battled fiercely on Tuesday, pulling and pushing for slight advantages and ball position. In the end, the District 19-6A first match resulted in a 1-1 tie. (Photo by Terry Carter/UDPhotos)