KHS soccer teams get sweep of Chapel Hill
HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER
By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com

SENIOR NIGHT FUN - Kilgore High School girls soccer seniors (from left) Suzi Espinoza, Margie Mitchell, Ashley Stanley, Carmen Rios, Cassie Rodgers and Whitney Brown, were honored before their final home game, a 4-1 win over Chapel Hill here at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium on Tuesday night.

The possible playoff run for the Kilgore High School boys soccer team ended last night, although not by the Bulldogs' own hands.

Kilgore needed to win the last two games of the regular season, and have Marshall lose its last two games. The Bulldogs beat Chapel Hill Tuesday night, 4-3, but Marshall beat Hallsville in overtime, finishing off the Bulldogs' postseason chances for this year.

But they were in it until almost the final game - that final game is Friday, here at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium, against Hallsville. Junior varsity will play at 5:30 p.m., varsity afterward, and there will be a ceremony honoring the KHS seniors right before the varsity game (the Bulldogs have 11 seniors).

Coach Kris Duplissey said he was proud of the way his team played the last three weeks of the season.

"In the first round (of District 17-4A play), we went 3-5," said Duplissey, about to finish up his third season as head coach. "So far, we're sitting at 5-2 in the second round, and the two games we've lost were in overtime to Lindale and to Pine Tree."

Lindale and Pine Tree just happen to be the top two teams in the district standings, followed by Marshall, who claimed the third and final playoff spot in the district by beating Hallsville last night.

For Kilgore against Chapel Hill, Dennis Hilgert scored the first two goals, as the Bulldogs took a 2- 1 lead into the half. Fidel Cedillo and Ryan Huckabee scored in the second half, as KHS weathered a second-half comeback by Chapel Hill, who had a conflict with the University of Texas at Tyler at the last moment, forcing that game to be moved back to Chapel Hill High School.

Kilgore's JV boys, coached by Joey Pippen, also won (3-0) and are 11-2-1 on the season, having beaten every district opponent except Pine Tree.

• Girls win, too: The first time coach Amanda Walzel's Kilgore High School Lady Bulldogs faced Chapel Hill this season, they got off to a great start, scoring two goals early, then faltered and came home with a 4-2 loss.

The Lady Bulldogs weren't about to let that happen again.

This time, the good start was followed by a great finish, and Kilgore won the game 4-1, a fitting tribute to six seniors - Whitney Brown, Suzi Espinoza, Margie Mitchell, Cassie Rodgers, Carmen Rios and Ashley Stanley - who were honored with a senior night celebration before the game at R.E. St. John, their last home game as KHS players.

Showing a little bit of determination to put Chapel Hill up against the wall, Sara Stewart got Kilgore on the board early: only a 1:08 had passed off the clock when Stewart scored, giving Kilgore a 1-0 lead in front of a very good crowd. Kilgore would increase its lead to 2-0 on a goal by Rios, with 24:52 left in the first half.

Macy Reynolds gave KHS the 3-0 lead before Chapel Hill got its only goal of the game, a shot by Tori Ostenal with 8:59 left.

But Kilgore's Jordan Ponder closed the door on Chapel Hill. Rios missed on her shot-on-goal with just over five minutes remaining, but Ponder was right there, and used the miss as an assist. She scored with 5:22 left, putting the game out of reach for CHHS.

The Lady 'Dogs finish their season on Friday at Hallsville, a 5:30 p.m. JV start, varsity to follow.

The JV also won Tuesday night, beating Chapel Hill, 3-0.

• New district: The University Interscholastic League has released its new realignment for soccer for the next two years - soccer districts are different than districts for football, baseball and other sports.

In the 2008 and 2009 school years, Kilgore will compete in District 32-4A, along with Longview, Pine Tree, Hallsville, Henderson and Marshall. And beginning next season, the top four teams, rather than the top three, make the playoffs.