Kennedale High School is one of 4 sites selected across the state to host the inaugural UIL 4A regional girls and boys soccer tournament. The tournament begins this weekend and will bring in the top four 4A soccer teams from west Texas to north Texas in the boys and girls divisions. {{more}}… There are only 16 teams left in the state 4A girls playoffs...
Kennedale ISD has never had the chance to host a major region UIL playoffs ? most of the time Kennedale travels to Lubbock for region tournaments ranging from basketball to track to academic meets. So this is a big thing, but bigger still, is that the Kennedale LadyKat soccer team is one of the final four, another first for Kennedale High School. There are only 16 teams left in the state 4A girls playoffs. Ted Madden featured Kennedale on WFAA Channel 8 story Monday night.
…It was fast and decisive….Kennedale secured their entry into the region playoff by defeating Gainesville, Monday night, by a score of 6-0 in the 4A Region 1&3 Quarterfinals. It was fast and decisive. Kennedale put up the first score at the 1:51 mark on a kick by Allie Thornton. A little over a minute later it was 2-0 on a goal by Claire Hamilton. At the 11:24 minute mark, Abby Olmos made a goal and a little over halfway through the first half the score was 6-0 on a goal by Abby Key and multiple goals by Allie Thornton. The shutout was the 15th in the LadyKats? 20-2-2 record.
In the semifinals on Friday, Kennedale will play Abilene Wylie (19-3) at 11:00 a.m. The second semifinal game will be played at 1:30 p.m. The bottom half of the semifinals features Stephenville (18-4-1) and Melissa (23-0-2). All games will be played at Wildcat Stadium at Kennedale High School, 901 Wildcat Way in Kennedale.
The teams know each other. Kennedale defeated Wylie earlier this year 5-0. Kennedale played Melissa in February to a 2-2 tie. Also, Kennedale lost to Stephenville 4-0 back in January. Wylie and Stephenville split games and tied in a third meeting.
?Our girls are ready for it,? according to Head Coach Michael Strange. ?There are no surprises; I mean we have played them all.” He added, ?we said at the beginning of the year it would be us four, we [these four teams] are the best hands down.?
Head Coach Michael Strange comes from Mansfield ISD after coaching successful programs in boys and girls soccer
Staci Otts)
On the prospects against Wylie, Strange said, ?We beat Wylie way back in February, but it is a whole new ballgame now, you just never know. They are young just like we are. I [do] believe that it will be us and Melissa in the finals on Saturday.?
…whoever comes out of this region they are going to win state …..
In a Kennedale/Melissa match-up, Strange said, ?Melissa is a good team but they have that one player, she is a game changer. We are a lot of things but fast is not one of them. We are a possession team, we are not going to kick and run and out run you. We are going to have to possess the ball and if that #2 [from Melissa] gets a hold of it in [open] space, we are in trouble. But we have been working on that all year, and we will work on this week. But, whoever comes out this region [girls division], they are going to win state. Of the top five teams in the state, there are four right here [in this tournament].?
The girls? finals will be played on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Wildcat Stadium. The state finals for the girls will be next week, Wednesday and Thursday in Georgetown.
On the boys? side, the semifinal games are scheduled at 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Abilene Wylie vs Life Oak Cliff (Dallas) will play at 4 and San Elizario (El Paso area) vs Gainesville at 6:30 p.m.
The boys? final will be at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
