Ricebirds’ finest season ends with loss in regional final
El Campo’s best soccer season ended one game short of the state tournament.
Lumberton shut out the Ricebirds 3-0 in the Region 3-4A final to advance to the state tournament for the first time.
“It just didn’t swing our way,” El Campo coach Audie Jackson said. “We’ve been the heartbreak kid for four games now and it ended out just not on our side this time. …Fought with everything we had for a full 80 minutes."
El Campo wraps up its best season at 19-9-1. The Ricebirds edged East Chambers 4-2 in a penalty shootout, after tying 1-1 in regulation, to advance to the regional final for the first time in program history. Andre Martinez tied the game with about 16 seconds left.
The Ricebirds outscored their first three opponents (Columbia, Taylor, Mexia) 6-1, including back-to-back shutouts in the second and third rounds.
“Coming in after not winning a second-round playoff game and then getting to the regional final – it’s unheard of,” Jackson said.
Jackson thought the Ricebirds did a good in the first half of staying in front of the Raiders and making them take long shots.
Lumberton did just that, taking a cluster of long-distance strikes before Crenshaw buried a shot from about 35 yards out into the back of the net with about seven left in the first half for the 1-0 halftime lead.
“Nine times out of 10 that goes our way and it just fell their way that time,” Jackson said. “It’s tough to try and complain to kids about what they’re doing wrong when they did everything right on it.”
The Raiders quickly increased their lead to begin the second half as senior midfielder Luke Hansen scored via a header off a corner kick for the 2-0 lead.
El Campo had clear opportunities to score in the second half, including shots from junior forward Nicholas Montes and Raymond Moreno.
The Ricebirds’ biggest chance to turn the game around came midway through the second half.
But sophomore goalkeeper Will Scoggins saved junior midfielder Diego Gutierrez’s penalty attempt to the right side. About six minutes later, senior forward Connor Smith scored via a shot from inside the box to make it 3-0.
“He wanted it, he took it, and it just didn’t swing our way,” Jackson said about Gutierrez. “The last goal kind of put it away for them.”