Photo: Walnut Grove’s Rowan Fitzpatrick fights a Smithson Valley player for the ball during the 5A D1 title match on Friday April 10 at Birkelbach Field in Georgetown
By Brian Gosset
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
GEORGETOWN – For 56 minutes, Prosper Walnut Grove played a player down against Smithson Valley. When senior defender Averi Scruggs and Smithson Valley’s Addison Briscoe got into it, they were given both yellow cards in the 44th minute.
Unfortunately, it was Scruggs’ second – resulting in an ejection and leaving Walnut Grove in 10 vs 11 for the rest of the match, one that would go into overtime.
The Rangers, who came into the match with 24 goals in 5 playoff games and averaging 6.4 over their past 8, didn’t find the back of the net until the 84th minute as they hung on to beat Walnut Grove 1-nil in the Class 5A D1 state championship game on Friday at Birkelbach Field.
Smithson Valley finishes 29-0 – the fourth perfect season for any UIL girls soccer team.
The Rangers tied the 2023 Celina team for the most wins (29) during a perfect championship season.
Walnut Grove goes 23-3-1 with its first champ appearance in only its third season.
The Wildcats had back-to-back corners from freshman Brynlie Ward with the second one resulting in a shot by Maya Nohr that went wide left in the 31st minute.
Ellery Robson was fouled that gave SV a yellow card and Ward took the free kick from the left side at about 25 yards that went out and hit the side of the net in the 35th minute.
There were 9 yellow cards issued – 5 on Walnut Grove – with the 1 red going on Scruggs.
Smithson Valley got a good look in 38th minute, but Walnut Grove goalkeeper Finley Pike made 1 of her 5 saves on the day.
Scruggs was ejected a little under 5 minutes into the second half.
Walnut Grove was still pretty even with Smithson Valley even with the player down. The Wildcats had 5 kicks and 4 corners in the first half and 10 and 8 overall against 10 and 5 total for the Rangers.
Walnut Grove had a free kick from 20 in the 7th minute, but Ward’s attempt was wide left.
Smithson Valley got a turnover after a goal kick, but a Rangers’ shot went right in the 77th minute.
The Rangers took the lead in the 84th minute on an unassisted goal by Alondra Sanchez, who was voted state champ MVP. It was Sanchez’s only attempt of the game.
Walnut Grove had 2 more decent tries in the final 10 minutes – one from Robson and one from Kylee Giametta.
Pike finished with 5 saves while Smithson Valley keeper Brianna Lyons had 3.
Walnut Grove was a part of the fifth game during the champ weekend – and fifth from the DFW/NTX area, however the local teams dropped to 2-3 (Celina girls win, Lake Dallas boys loss, Sunnyvale girls loss, Bridgeport boys win).
The Wildcats’ boys are also playing for a title – however, Walnut Grove won’t become the third school to win both titles in the same year. It would’ve been the first since Frisco Wakeland did it in 2022. Wakeland in 2018 and Richardson in 1985 are the other two times.
