GAMES
RANKINGS
Southeast Texas well-represented in Class 5A Girls Regional Soccer
Another thrilling week of Playoff Soccer in the books, and only two Southeast teams remain in the race for the UIL 5A State Championship
As fate would have it, both clubs competing in the Texas Sweet-16 -- Barbers Hill and Port Neches-Groves -- come from the same district.
The PNG girls emerged victorious from a fierce match against Friendswood, whereas Barbers Hill advanced after a tense tug-of-war in a penalty shootout to cap off an instant classic with Angleton.
With the Regional Tournament starting this Friday, here is the outlook for H-Town’s reps looking to push further into history.
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5A Girls Soccer
*Record Format: W-L-T (Tournament games not included)
*List is ordered alphabetically
Barbers Hill Eagles
Photo acquired via Twitter: @BH_LadySoccer
Barbers Hill Eagles
2022-23 Regular Season: 12-2/Finished 2nd in District 17-5A
Head Coach: Bonnie Landry
2022-23 Playoffs:
- Bi-District: 3-1 Win v. Santa Fe
- Area Round: 2-2 (3-1 Penalty Shootout) Win v. Foster
- Regional Quarterfinals: 1-1 (10-9 Penalty Shootout) Win v. Angleton
Round 3 MVP(s): "My keepers Trinity Atkinson (So.) & Kennedy Franks (Fr.) for their big saves during the game and PK's," said Coach Landry. "Also Cadence Sanders (Sr. MF) & Jacie Meredith (Sr. F) for their goals and quality of play."
Regional Semifinals Matchup: v. Georgetown
Keys to the Game: "Our keys to playing Georgetown are going to be high pressure on ball, eliminating passing lanes, speed on the offensive side for us and just playing hard."
Prospectus: Barbers Hill has been on a tear throughout this UIL postseason.
After breezing past Santa Fe in the first round, the Eagles knocked a top-notch Foster team out of the playoffs in PKs, which was followed by a nerve-wracking penalty shootout win for the ages against Angleton.
With a rapidly-maturing duo of goal keepers, and seniors providing experience on the attack, BHHS' stars complement each other exceptionally in every third on the pitch. Experience and consistency is the key to maintaing postseason longevity. Fortunately, for Barbers Hill, they have that and then some as they prepare to face Georgetown.
"Our team's greatest strength throughout the post season would be their GRIT & HEART to play together as a team," Landry said.
Port Neches-Groves Indians
Photo by Emily Mire of NDN Press--Acquired via HC Aimee Bates
Port Neches-Groves Indians
2022-23 Regular Season: 12-1-1/District 17-5A Champions
Head Coach: Aimee Bates
2022-23 Playoffs:
- Bi-District: 4-0 Win v. Manvel
- Area Round: 3-0 Win v. Fulshear
- Regional Quarterfinals: 2-1 Win v. Friendswood
Round 3 MVP(s): "I can't say because so many of them had a part in that win," said Coach Bates. "Marlee Sonnier (Sr. F) and Ava Zumo (So. F) did the work up top and created a lot of opportunities for our team. Our midfielders put in the work to balance our attack and get behind the ball to help with Olivia Schmidt..."
"Ariana Sandoval and Emma Bates were box to box all night. Our defense shut down an all state forward with their tenacity. Alexis Blotner is our senior who ran things back there and Holly Husen stepped up as a freshman at centerback because Ansley Husen tore her ACL against Fulshear. It was a new position and she handled it well. Addison Blotner caused problems for their left winger all night. It was a team victory and I'm proud of all my kids."
Regional Semifinals Matchup: v. Belton
Keys to the Game: "Belton is a solid squad with a fast speed of play," Bates said. "We believe we can disrupt their play and wreak havoc on them. We may not have as many chances as they have but we will execute ours when we have it. We know we are the underdogs in theis match and we are here to embrace it and pull off an upset."
Prospectus: PNG Girls Soccer has become a model of postseason consistency over the past near-decade, having reached the Regional Tournament six out of the last eight years.
The kicker is that the Indians have yet to advance past this point, but Head Coach Aimee Bates and her team are confident in their ability to do just that.
"We put in the work all year on how to treat each other and talk to each other," she said. "We do numerous team building activities and talks so the foundation is laid. It makes it hard to beat us because they are fighting to stay together one more week. Our strength on the field is our grit. We never give up. We have 19 girls that get after it and are gritty.This is our year!"
They will be facing an equally consistent Belton team that's coming off a big-time win against A&M Consolidated (3-0) which could prove to be troublesome.
However, if their preceding performances are any indication, this could easily become the game of the year for PNG. Stay tuned.
CLICK HERE TO KEEP UP WITH THE UIL 5A GIRLS BRACKETS (Regions 1 & 2)
CLICK HERE TO KEEP UP WITH THE UIL 5A GIRLS BRACKETS (Regions 3 & 4)
RECRUIT SCOOP: Kaylee Landry, PNG Soccer
Kaylee Landry ends a four year run at Port Neches-Groves as the team's all-time leader in assists and helped the Lady Indians to an undefeated district season in 21-5A. PNG solidified their #3 area ranking with a season sweep over rival Nederland earlier this spring before the quarantine period.
VYPE caught up with Landry recently to talk about her legacy at PNG and what her future holds.
VYPE: During this time of quarantine what are you doing as an athlete to stay in shape and keep engaged with your coach and teammates?
Landry: During quarantine I have kept up with our workouts from coach Fruge at PNG. About 3 times a week we would have zoom meetings to keep in touch and keep ourselves going.
VYPE: Explain a typical day in your life with the "stay-at-home" order and how are you engaging with your school work and personal life?
Landry: A typical day for me starts with a workout, then I keep myself busy by painting or doing puzzles. I usually finish all of my school work by Tuesday, so I can have the week off. Recently, me and a few people have been playing soccer tennis to get out of the house.
VYPE: You just completed your senior season as the Lady Indians career assist leader after a four year varsity career, what do you want to accomplish at the next level?
Landry: The next level for me consists of moving off to College Station to continue school. I plan on going for business and finance.
VYPE: PNG Girls Soccer was having a great season before the coronavirus hit (17-7-1. 10-0). What, in your opinion, made the season such a great success?
Landry: This season has been our best one yet. We all connected as a true soccer family. It was full of trust and we all played with heart. We put in work on and off the field. Our team has always been positive and we never let someone bring us down.
VYPE: What do you want your legacy to be at PNG?
Landry: My legacy at PNG was to be seen as a hard worker. I always put in 100% even on the hard days. I also wanted to be seen as a leader for the rest of the team and show them that they could count on me on and off the field for anything they needed.