By Brian Gosset
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
GEORGETOWN – Forney had it.
The Jackrabbits could feel the championship coming back with them to North Texas. They were less than 50 seconds away from finishing off their historic girls soccer season.
But Humble Kingwood scored in the final minute to send the match into overtime tied 1-1 and then the Mustangs went on to win the shootout 4-2 to stun Forney in the Class 6A D2 title game on Saturday at Birkelbach Field.
A goal by junior Addison Smith gave Forney (28-2) a 1-nil lead early in the game during the 8th minute. Kalani Brundage had the assist on the play. Then the Jackrabbits’ defense came in to hold the Mustangs scoreless for the rest of the half.
Kingwood had 2 shots and 3 corners following Smith’s goal.
The Mustangs had a shot in the 31st minute from Tyler Weaver, but it was saved by Forney goalkeeper Cinnamon Hurst. A second shot came in the 36th minute from Conception Maya, but again Hurst was there to make the stop.
Forney had a chance to take a 2-0 halftime lead when Smith got the shot off in the 39th minute, but that was stopped by Kingwood keeper Hazel Rutherford.
Kingwood had 2 shots in the opening 10 minutes of the second half – both stopped by Hurst.
Another in the 70th minute was off target.
One minute later, a Kingwood attempt did go in the back of the net, but it was waved off with an off-sides call.
With the clock striking the 1-minute mark, you could feel the excitement on the Forney sidelines. The mood quickly shifted just 14 seconds later when Kingwood tied the game 1-1 on a goal by Weaver.
Forney was the aggressor and had more chances during the 2 overtime periods, but the Jackrabbits couldn’t get one to land as the match went to PKs.
In the shootout, both teams scored on their first try with Kingwood’s Harper Mills and Forney’s Addison Staats scoring (1-1).
After Isabella Garibay made her try for Kingwood, Smith’s attempt went off the right post that kept the Mustangs in front (2-1).
Maya and Brundage made their kicks and the Mustangs stayed ahead (3-2).
The door opened for Forney when Kingwood missed its next kick as Camryn Hicks’ try went over the crossbar (3-2). But Rutherford stopped Annabelle Vasquez’s kick near the left post. (Kingwood 3-2).
Weaver added to her heroics from regulation with the championship sealing penalty kick to give Kingwood (27-0-2) its third title and first since 1999.
Kingwood was in its 10th appearance to at least the Final Four with its last one coming in 2004.
Forney got to the title game after giving Southlake Carroll its only loss in the semifinal round 1-0.
