'Dogs lose finale to Mavs, 5-1

Photo by Kathy Bowden MAKING A PLAY - Kilgore senior Alfredo Garcia (9, center) makes a move for the ball in a recent home game. Garcia and the Bulldogs lost their 2006 season finale on Friday night, 5-1, at Marshall. Garcia led KHS in scoring this season with 14 goals. The young Bulldogs will return a more experienced class for the 2007 season. It turned out to be a long season for the inexperienced Kilgore High School boys soccer team, but coach Kris Duplissey hopes his squad learned from their 2006 season, he said, and can build on it next year.

The 'Dogs wrapped up their 2006 campaign Friday night with a 5-1 loss at Marshall. Kilgore (4-10 in District 16-4A play) played well in the first half, Duplissey said.

"The wheels kind of came off with about 15 minutes left in the game," the first-year coach said.

Marshall scored about 12 minutes into the game at the 28:46 mark, but Kilgore came right back less than three minutes later when senior Alfredo Garcia scored unassisted. It was Garcia's 14th goal of the year, and tied the game at 1 with 25:55 left in the first half.

Marshall managed to get a second goal with 15:24 left in the half, taking a 2-1 lead into halftime.

Kilgore played well defensively for the majority of the second half, but once Marshall went up by two goals - the Mavericks scored again with 14:34 remaining, and then got two more goals, the final one coming with 2:36 left.

But Marshall won't make the postseason, either, in what is one of the toughest districts for soccer in East Texas. Pine Tree tied with Henderson Friday night, 2-2, then beat the Lions in a shootout. The Pirates won the District 164A championship. Nacogdoches, last year's champion, finished second, and Hallsville, near the bottom of the standings in 2005, finished third. Only the top three teams make the UIL Class 4A playoffs. It was Kilgore's first year not to make the postseason since 2001.

The Bulldogs were led on the season by Garcia's 14 goals. Senior Kaleb Nix had 10. Duplissey hopes some of his team will be named to the All-District Team, to be voted on by the coaches and released when the playoffs are finished.

The Kilgore girls soccer team, coached by Heidi Hagan, had finished their season with a loss at Nacogdoches on Tuesday.