For the second straight year, the Kingwood Park Panthers girls’ soccer team accomplished a wonderful feat … making it to the state semifinals and having a chance to win the state title. Unfortunately for the Lady Panthers, they ran into a very good Highland Park team who would eventually capture the state championship two days later.
Against the Panthers, the Scots got three first-half goals, with two goals from Presley Echols on the way to a 4-1 win.
In the match, the Scots took control early and never let it go. Just over 11 minutes into the match, Maja Davison scored for the Scots to put them on the board. Davison would eventually go on to win state title match MVP.
The Scots got two goals right before halftime, the first coming from Megan O’Neal, and the second coming from Echols right before the end of the half to make it 3-0 Scots at half.
Texas soccer commit Echols would score again with about 10 minutes remaining in the match, and though Allie Byrd scored in the waning moments of the match, it was too little too late as Highland Park advanced to the finals.
Even though it ends the season short of a state title, this was another tremendous season from the Panther girls. In getting to the state tournament for the second consecutive year, they lost only one match until the state semifinals, and won the district title.
In addition, they ended up beating the only team that beat them earlier, Pflugerville, to advance to the state tournament with a 2-1 win in the regional finals.
The Panthers will now head into the offseason looking to reload from the departure of some key seniors, including Byrd, captain Taylor Debrosky, Claire Jimerson, Hailey Villareal and others.
