By Terry Carter, RTT, CHyp.
The 2023 I-10 Shootout brought 63 girls’ soccer teams to Katy and yielded a fair prediction of how District 19-6A play may go.
Seven Lakes (8-0, 2-0) then defeated defending 5A state champion Frisco Lakeland, 2-1, in their highly anticipated showdown.
It was a major test for the Lady Spartans and the only goal scored on all-state goalkeeper Maddy Rich this season. The win propelled Seven Lakes to capture the Spartan Bracket championship in a 1-0 final against Cy Woods two weeks ago.
Two weeks into league play, ranked Seven Lakes is unbeaten and may face one of its tougher matches on Tuesday against Jordan (6-3-1, 3-0-1). The match is slated for a 7:15 p.m. start at Seven Lakes and will provide an early clue to the Lady Spartans’ supremacy after they won 19-6A play in 2022.
Jordan’s Warriors, a young, talented team, reached the finals of the Falcon Bracket during the I-10 Shootout before falling to Tomball Memorial in a 4-2 shootout after a 1-1 regulation tie. The Warriors defeated Cy Ranch, 2-1, and Cy-Fair, 3-0, to reach the tournament bracket finale.
In district play Jordan dominated Paetow (5-4, 2-2), 7-0, then tied a quality Katy squad (6-2-2, 3-1-1), 0-0, and defeated Cinco Ranch (3-4-2, 2-2-1), 2-1, on Saturday.
Tompkins (7-4, 3-1) sits in third place currently and missed out on a chance to play Jordan in the I-10 Shootout after falling to Tomball Memorial, 0-0, 3-1 shootout). Jordan lost to the same team the next day, also in a shootout.
Katy reached the I-10 Shootout Tiger Bracket Finals before dropping a 0-0 )5-4 shootout) loss to St. Agnes in the bracket finals. Katy however, leads all district teams in scoring with 29 goals.
Paetow (5-4, 2-2) has scored 27 goals, Jordan 26 and Seven Lakes 22. Defensively Seven Lakes holds a wide margin over opposing league opponents, having allowed just one goal. Jordan and Cinco Ranch have allowed eight, and Tompkins and Katy have permitted nine so far.
Seven Lakes forward Hayden Erck (9) launches a shot for the unbeaten Lady Spartans. On Tuesday Seven Lakes will host second-place Jordan in a key District 19-6A girls’ soccer contest. (Photo by Terry Carter/UDPhotos)
