KENNEDALE – After losing their final regular season game and a chance at a district title, 5-2 against Midlothian, Burleson Centennial coach Heather McMahan said that even though the outcome wasn’t there, she could take away some good things as they prepared for the playoffs.
Six days later and the Spartans kept their season alive and moved on to the next round. Following a scoreless first half, Centennial scored twice and shut down the Hawks during a 2-0 win in a Class 5A Region 1 bi-district game on Monday at Kennedale HS.
Centennial (18-2) will play the winner between Wichita Falls Rider and Fort Worth North Side in the area round later this week. The Spartans ended second in 8-5A while Birdville was third in 7-5A and ends the season 16-5-3.
Monday’s game was a playoff rematch from last year’s opener when Centennial out-lasted Birdville after overtime and in a shootout. The Spartans didn’t need any extra time this go-around.
Both the Spartans and Hawks had a few chances early on. Journey Curs went wide right in the 7th minute and Celine Diaz followed with a wide shot a minute later. Diaz, a Birdville forward, tried to cross an attempt in the box, but it was off and went out of bounds in the 13th minute.
Centennial had a long free kick and Jewel Valcik was able to head a shot attempt, but it went right to Birdville keeper Nica Pacione. Curs (Lubbock Christian signee) had a nice free kick attempt from the 50 which led into a scrum near the net, but the ball would go out in the 26th minute.
Spartans’ Katie Bailey had the best attempt of the opening 40 minutes when she out-raced a Hawks’ defender for about 50 yards, made a move to get past another, but her shot was about two inches over the the top post in the 35th minute. Centennial kept attacking after intermission and finally broke the tie in the 45th minute. Curs took the ball, made one move, flicked it to Kristine Garcia, who scored in the upper left 90 from about 15 yards and the lead was 1-0.
A yellow card was issued to Centennial in the 56th minute which led to a free kick and corner kick for Birdville. The Hawks got a header in the box, but it was just wide and the score remained 1-0 with 24 minutes left in the match. Birdville had a great chance in the 63rd minute when a cross dropped just inside the box, but Centennial keeper Alyssa Yeoman just beat freshman Raegan Brown to the ball.
McMahan and Centennial got some relief with an insurance goal in the 65th minute. Valcik found Hazel Curs who fired from 25 yards. The Birdville keeper got her fingers on the ball, but the attempt was just enough to go into the back of the net that gave Centennial a 2-0 edge. Birdville almost scored in the 76th minute, but the shot attempt bounced off the left post and Yeoman fell on it.
Yeoman, Centennial starting keeper Bronwyn Adams, who’s signed with Hendrix College, and the back line posted the team’s 10th shutout of the season. It was their first playoff shutout since April 2, 2021 (1-0 vs Colleyville Heritage). The Spartans went 14-2 in 8-5A play.
