TX: Kingwood score last-minute goal to beat Terry

District play is underway in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) high school soccer season in the state of Texas as teams from all over the Lone Star State have now officially started the race for spots in the playoffs.   Prep Soccer Texas will be following the battle for a place in the postseason in the Houston area, covering multiple matches every week and featuring the top performers in each of them. On Friday, January 18, we caught a rare non-district match in the 5A division in Rosenberg, with the Terry Rangers hosting the Kingwood Mustangs.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/01/texas-hs-boys-terry-vs-kingwood-photos/">Photos: Terry vs. Kingwood</a></li> </ul>   Despite playing on the road, Kingwood dominated possession from the start and took control of the match. The Mustangs managed to create some chances in the first half, but were stopped by Terry's junior goalkeeper Jesus Rendon more than once. The hosts also had a good chance to score, but sophomore midfielder Samir Nasim saw a Kingwood defender clear his shot as it was about to cross the goal line.   The scenario continued the same in the second half, with Kingwood trying to find ways to break Terry's strong defensive system and the Rangers being dangerous in transition. With just ten second left on the clock, senior forward Jacob Smith found the back of the net with a low shot from outside the penalty box to give the Mustangs the win.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Goal <a href="https://twitter.com/khsmensvsoccer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@khsmensvsoccer</a> ! Jacob Smith scores with ten seconds left on the clock and get the 1-0 win over <a href="https://twitter.com/Terry_Rangers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Terry_Rangers</a> . Photos and Match Report dropping soon at <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepSoccerTX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepSoccerTX</a>. <a href="https://t.co/tyYRsqjFLg">pic.twitter.com/tyYRsqjFLg</a>— Guilherme Torres (@grtorres) <a href="https://twitter.com/grtorres/status/1880454973475172832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2025</a></blockquote>   The victory gave Kingwood a 5-1-1 win record for the season ahead of District 23 opening match against Goose Greek Memorial, on Tuesday. Terry lost for the first time in the season and are now at 6-1-1 - they still have another non-district match on Monday, against East Chambers, before the start of District 20 action.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    McWilliams was the engine of Kingwood's offense, seeing the ball a lot in his attacking midfielder role and connecting the dots for the team in the final third. The junior was tireless in his efforts to create chances and displayed a great ability to do it, distributing intelligent passes and successfully dribbling in tight spaces. McWilliams had some strong runs through the middle and made the right decisions on most occasions, connecting well with his teammates. He was a little bit unlucky for not getting to score a goal and he had a couple of good chances and was denied by Terry's goalkeeper Jesus Rendon on both.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/01/2J4A0015.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-277349" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Terry vs. Kingwood</figcaption></figure>    Casanova displayed great versatility with the Mustangs, playing three different roles for the team and bringing a lot of intensity to each of them. He started the match in midfield and had a strong presence in the attacking half, combining well with his teammates and making some quick runs through the middle that created space for his teammates. The senior was then moved to wingback, spending time on both sides, and continued to be an important offensive weapon, helping his team stretch the field and sending nice crosses into the penalty box. Casanova was also very determined and energetic playing defense and got some tackles during the match.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/01/2J4A0012.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-277347" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Terry vs. Kingwood</figcaption></figure>    One of Kingdwood's captains, Cherrington helped his team dominate the midfield with his strong two-way game. He lined up as a defensive midfielder and was very active at winning duels in the center of the field, using his physicality to outpower his opponents. Cherrington also had a big role in Kingwood's offense, initiating the buildup with great efficiency. The senior distributed the ball well and connected the vast majority of his passes, helping the Mustangs circulate the ball and try to find ways to penetrate Terry's backline.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/01/2J4A0035.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-277355" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Terry vs. Kingwood</figcaption></figure>    Scheidemantel had a very solid match and anchored Kingwood's backline to their second clean sheet of the season. Playing the center of the team's back three, he dominated the penalty box and did a very good job of clearing balls and intercepting long passes. Because of how the match played out, Scheidemantel was forced to frequently defend in transition and, despite having to deal with some fast Terry attackers, he did a great job of shutting their attempts down. The center back also did good work on the ball, remaining calm under pressure and not forcing plays, and was his team's vocal leader, encouraging teammates and instructing them throughout the match.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/01/2J4A0011.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-277346" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Terry vs. Kingwood</figcaption></figure>    Marquez had only one good chance to score, in the first half, when he was denied, but kept trying to create others until the end fo the match. The junior forward didn't limit his presence to the penalty box, moving all over the final third to find space and make plays. He worked well with his back to the goal, combining with the team's midfielders, and also made diagonal runs to get to the end line. Marquez also displayed great ability to dribble in tight spaces and create some good plays out wide.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/01/2J4A0024.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-277352" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Terry vs. Kingwood</figcaption></figure>    With Terry absorbing pressure to hit on the counter for most of the match, Nasim was a key piece in their playing system. The attacking midfielder was a great weapon in transition, making some dangerous runs during the match. He played more centrally, where he did a great job of combining with Jesus Rivas-Guzman, but consistently drifted wide, where he got to beat Kingwood's defenders on some occasions. Nasim also made some great diagonal runs behind the backline that generated two great opportunities for him - he saw a defender save the first almost over the goal line and the goalkeeper save the second. The sophomore was also very disciplined defensively, helping his team occupy the center of the field and make Kingwood's life more complicated as they tried to move the ball.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/01/2J4A0062.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-277368" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Terry vs. Kingwood</figcaption></figure>    The senior midfielder adjusted well to the game, not keeping the ball for too long and instead setting up his teammates with great passes behind the backline in transition. Rivas-Guzman was defended closely by Kingwood and didn't have a lot of space to create chances, but managed to beat his defenders off the dribble on some occasions. His ability to keep the ball was of great importance as it gave the backline a few seconds to breathe and regroup, getting them off the pressure for a little while.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Jesus Rivas-Guzman tries to score off a free kick for <a href="https://twitter.com/Terry_Rangers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Terry_Rangers</a> but <a href="https://twitter.com/khsmensvsoccer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@khsmensvsoccer</a> GK Tanner Smith makes the save. <a href="https://t.co/cjLlbIQfDs">pic.twitter.com/cjLlbIQfDs</a>— Guilherme Torres (@grtorres) <a href="https://twitter.com/grtorres/status/1880439845585354821?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2025</a></blockquote>    Linares was picked to represent the entire Terry defensive system, which was under pressure for almost the entire match and held Kingwood scoreless for 79 minutes. Fellow center back Jaime Rendon, goalkeeper Jesus Rendon and him had nearly perfect displays and were solid from start to finish. Playing on the left side of the defense, Linares was flawless and made some critical interventions. Despite not being very physical, he won many duels and times his sliding tackles perfectly. The defender also displayed great ability to hit long passes and take free kicks into the attacking half.

District play is underway in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) high school soccer season in the state of Texas as teams from all over the Lone Star State have now officially started the race for spots in the playoffs.