Bears blast into regional soccer final, to duel district opponent LASA
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
By Jim Irish
Photos by Jason Miller
BELLVILLE -- Bastrop boys soccer has advanced where no other Bears' team has been in school history: the regional finals.
After rallies in its first two playoff matches, Bastrop dominated Splendora 4-1 in the Class 5A Division II regional semifinals at Bellville High School on Friday.
Last season, in Greg Vuagniaux's first as head coach, the Bears reached the regional semis or third round before falling to Lake Creek 3-2 in the final 22 seconds.
This season, it wasn't close.
Bastrop (16-5-4) spent most of the match in Splendora territory, relying on surgical passing to stymie its opponent.
Splendora (15-7-6) had no shots on goal until the second half and scored only after Vuagniaux inserted substitutes.
Still, Vuagniaux was not completed satisfied with the performance.
"I thought our first half was good, but we could have easily been a lot better," he said. "We had five (scoring) chances in the first ten minutes.
"I think we're starting off a little nervous, a little timid. The passing could have been faster. I need the ball to keep moving. That was a big point of emphasis at halftime. If we hold onto the ball too much, we're exerting way too much energy, all that solo energy."
Vuagniaux understands well the caliber of team its next opponent, Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) is.
"They're not going to give us so much time on the ball. ..."
-- Bastrop coach Greg Vuagniaux about LASA
"They're not going to give us so much time on the ball," he said. "You can't do a lot of solo energy against LASA. You have to keep the ball moving. You've got to spread them out as much as you can."
In two District 24 matches, LASA defeated the Bears 2-1 and tied 1-1. The Raptors (12-4-5) captured the district title and allowed only six goals. They defeated Barbers Hill 1-0 in the region semis.
"When we go further into the playoffs, we're gonna play against teams that have a faster tempo," Vuagniaux said.
Against Splendora, Bastrop had excellent scoring opportunities in the first 10 minutes but came up empty. Striker Caden Justice had three shots on goal, but Splendora keeper Victor Sanchez stopped all three. Justice, who has been playing with a quadricep injury, slipped on a breakaway.
"He's a ball hawk," Vuagniaux said about Justice, the leading scorer with 14 goals. "He knows where the ball is going to be. He's still struggling with the injury. It's apparent. He's not in top gear."
But Bastrop has many offensive weapons. In the 28th minute, Franklin Gutierrez scored the first goal -- his seventh this season -- with an assist from Isaac Velasquez on a free kick.
Velasquez beat Sanchez to the left in the 35th minute after taking the ball from a Splendora player.
Velasquez attacked again, knocking a header past Sanchez in the 38th minute, his sixth goal this season.
Sophomore midfielder Anthony Reyes blasted a shot past Reyes from 30 yards in 48th minute for a 4-0 advantage.
"They're very impressive," Splendora coach Tim Gillespie said. "They're clean. They don't hold onto the ball for long. They move it around. They're ready to explode on somebody."
"They're ready to explode on somebody."
-- Splendora coach Tim Gillespie about Bastrop
Justice missed right on an open shot directly in front of the goal later in the second half
Gillespie said his team was not at full strength without starting goalkeeper Lane Delgado, who was serving a suspension after receiving a red card.
"We missed him bad," Gillespie said about Delgado, the first-team district goalkeeper.
Vuagniaux played his substitutes in the final twenty minutes.
Splendora's Mario Huerta beat Bastrop backup goalkeeper Hector Amador in the final minutes.
Bastrop and LASA collide at 7 p.m. at Hutto High School on Tuesday.
"It's great for the district," Vuagniaux said.
Jim Irish is a freelance writer in Bastrop, Texas
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