GRAPEVINE – Caden Naizer scored the game-winning goal with 31 seconds left in regulation and Midlothian rallied back from a 0-2 deficit to beat Saginaw 3-2 in their Class 5A Region 1 quarterfinal game on Tuesday night at Mustang-Panther Stadium.
Midlothian, District 8-5A champ, advances to the regional tournament.
The regional semifinal round will be Friday at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls.
The regional final will be Saturday afternoon.
Saginaw’s magical run ends. The Rough Riders finished as the 3-seed out of 5-5A. They knocked off Lake Dallas for the area round championship last week. The Riders took the early control and a 2-nil lead within the opening 30 minutes.
Mathy Tampwo raced through multiple Midlothian defenders, got into the end zone and was able to score from an angle on the left side in the 9th minute to give Saginaw a 1-0 edge. The Panthers had a tough time getting anything on offense or stopping Saginaw from getting possession deep on their side of the field. Midlo goalkeeper Kyle Allen saved a free kick in the 15th minute. The Panthers did get a corner in the 19th minute but the Riders cleared. Saginaw stopped a corner in the 25th minute.
Saginaw extended the lead to 2-0 in the 30th minute. Tampwo passed it to a teammate, who got into the box. His shot attempt was hit by Allen before rolling in. Midlo did get one in before the intermission when Dawson Lopez squeezed one inside the left post in the 34th minute.
Saginaw led 2-1 at the break.
The Panthers put on the pressure in the second half. Naizer booted a free kick from 30 yards but it was stopped in the 45th minute. They nearly got the equalizer three minutes later off a header in the box but the ball went wide. Another attempt came in the 50th minute off the corner and deflection, but the Saginaw keeper was able to keep it out of goal. The Riders did get their chance on a free kick in the 54th minute – with the ball nearly going into the upper right 90 but it was just off.
Midlo finally tied it at 2 in the 59th minute on Naizer’s first goal of the night.
The Riders drew a foul just outside of the box – setting up a free kick at the 15. Tampwo lined up and sent an absolute rocket, but Allen made the save and pushed it over the post. Midlo got more pressure in the 64th minute. Saginaw got two goal kicks in the 13th and 8th minutes.
The game-winning goal came on the inbound. The Panthers threw it in just in front of the flag in the right corner. Saginaw tried to clear it and the ball bounced near the 20. Midlo got possession back and the ball bounced off the chest of one Panther at the 5 and rolled right to Naizer who drilled in the goal for the brace.
===================================================================
===================================================================
Colleyville Heritage 3, Midlothian 2
In the first game on Tuesday in Grapevine, the Heritage girls got a bit of luck in the second half. Midlo scored an own goal in the 69th minute and CHHS advanced to the 5A Region 1 tournament in Wichita Falls.
Just like the boys, the semis are set for Friday at Memorial Stadium.
The regional final is Saturday.
Heritage improved to 21-0-2 while Midlo ends at 23-3.
Both won their districts in the regular season.
Natalie Wagner scored for Midlothian in the 14th minute to give the team a 1-0 lead. Colleyville Heritage nearly got one in the 10th minute, but goalkeeper Rebecca Hall made the diving save. The Midlo D stepped up in the 23rd minute to stop a pair of Heritage possessions. Midlo had a pretty through ball to Kyleigh Ward, who got into the box for an attempt but CHHS keeper Juliana Grider made the save.
Colleyville tied it in the 32nd minute.
Rice bound all-star Allie Love got a ball at the 10, made a turn to her left and booted it with her left foot near the right post with the assist coming from Bama commit Olivia Belcher. The game remained tied at 1 during the intermission. Heritage got into the box in the 47th minute, but Hall was there for the stop.
Belcher scored in the 48th minute to give Heritage a 2-1 lead.
Hall made another save for Midlo in the 55th minute. Midlo had a chance to tie it in the 57th minute. They got off a nice cross, but the connection just missed before Wagner booted a 40-yarder that was high. Midlo’s free kick from Jordyn Hardeman was wide left in the 66th minute.
Zayla Reagan, the team leader in goals, finished off an assist in the box to tie it at 2 in the 67th minute. But CHHS went back in front soon after on Midlo’s own goal. Colleyville got off a close attempt that went off Hall, but bounced toward the goal line. Midlothian tried to clear the ball that was behind Hall, but the ball bounced off Hall and into the net for a 3-2 lead.
Midlothian got three more chances in a five-minute span, but couldn’t capitalize.
================================================================
