By Brian Gosset
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
GEORGETOWN – The season after COVID, the Sunnyvale girls soccer team were well under 0.500 – both overall and in district. Since, the Raiders have climbed back, which included an undefeated district championship this season.
Going farther than any other team has gone in the program’s history, Sunnyvale’s season ended in heartbreak during a 3-1 loss against Wimberley in the Class 4A D2 championship match on Thursday at Birkelbach Field.
After the game head coach Jay Campos said there was a sense of pride for how well his players performed all season and how they continue to grow the soccer community in town.
Wimberley (25-2-1), with its first two state appearances in back-to-back years, captured its first title. Emma Durkin was voted state champ MVP.
Sunnyvale ends the season with a 24-4-1 record.
The Raiders were called for a handball in the 6th minute and 32 seconds later, Wimberley found the goal for a 1-nil lead as Durkin scored in the top right corner.
Sunnyvale struggled on offense against the Texans’ defense. The Raiders only managed 7 total kicks and 0 corners against 13 and 3 for Wimberley, which included 9 shots in the second half.
Wimberley got a free kick in the final minute of the first half and Durkin got a shot off, but it was blocked with 39:31 on the clock.
The Texans extended the lead to 2-nil in the 54th minute when Abby Durkin scored in the top left corner of the goal.
Wimberley then got 4 straight shots in the 56th minute, but Sunnyvale was awarded 2 team saves while goalkeeper Avery Mollett picked up the other 2 saves.
Mollett had 3 saves overall.
Sunnyvale got some momentum when the Raiders drew a foul in the box, which set up the penalty kick for Macy Martin, who scored to make it 2-1 in the 58th minute.
Looking for the game-tying goal, Sunnyvale dug a hole going back down 2 in the 68th minute when Dylan Watson assisted on a score from Samantha Santana, who scored in the top left of the net.
The Raiders only got 1 more shot in the final 12 minutes – from Victoria Morales in the 74th minute, but it was off target.
Sunnyvale beat Frisco Panther Creek, Dallas Pinkston and Athens to open the playoffs. The Raiders took down Aubrey 3-2 in the Region 2 Final before knocking off Godley 2-1 in the state semifinals.
One bright spot for Sunnyvale – its goal snapped a 7-match shutout streak for Wimberley, which previously gave up a goal on March 3.
