TX: Lamar top Bellaire in the Houston Derby

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, February 7, we caught the always-fierce duel between the Lamar Texans and the Bellaire Cardinals in District 18. Playing at home, Lamar triumphed 2-1.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/02/texas-hs-boys-lamar-vs-bellaire-photos/">Photos: Lamar vs. Bellaire</a></li> </ul>   All three goals of the match happened in the first half. The home team scored first, with junior Samuel Casallas winning a second ball inside the attacking penalty box and firing a left-footed shot. Bellaire leveled the score with a shot from sophomore midfielder Charlie Davis that beat Lamar's goalkeeper Diego Compean. A few minutes before the halftime break, senior outside back Alexis Muniz got into the final third and fired a low shot to put Lamar in control again.   The second half had multiple chances for each side, but the score remained unchanged. Bellaire had its best opportunity in a curled shot by Cole McLean that Compean saved. Lamar had many opportunities to seal their victory in transition plays, but missed the target in some of their shots and were stopped by Bellaire's goalkeeper Hayden Tucker in others.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Time is over here as Lamar secure the 2-1 home win over <a href="https://twitter.com/BHSBoysSoccerTX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BHSBoysSoccerTX</a>. Will have photos and a Match Report up at <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepSoccerTX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepSoccerTX</a> over the weekend. <a href="https://t.co/zHx9pbgYxg">pic.twitter.com/zHx9pbgYxg</a>— Guilherme Torres (@grtorres) <a href="https://twitter.com/grtorres/status/1888062484713439507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2025</a></blockquote>   With the home victory, Lamar appear in second place in District 18 with three wins, one tie and one loss - they have a 10-3-1 win record for the season. Bellaire are seventh in district play with one win and five losses - they have one victory and 11 defeats so far in the season.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of Match</h2>    Playing the attacking midfielder role, Ferguson was heavily involved in Lamar's offense throughout the match. He looked for the ball the entire time and managed to create some good goalscoring opportunities for his team. Ferguson used his body to shield the ball extremely well in his runs, but also displayed an interesting ability to make quick changes of directions and beat opponents off the dribble. The senior was extremely dangerous around the penalty box, finding his teammates in great spots with accurate passes. Ferguson also covered a lot of ground during the match and still had the energy to remain defensively engaged in the final minutes, when his time fought to preserve its one-goal lead.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0175.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278848" /></figure>    Muniz scored the game-winning goal for Lamar in one of his many offensive runs during the match, finishing a nice play with an accurate shot. The left back was very active in the attacking half and used his technical skills to feed his teammates with great crosses and long passes. The senior was given the freedom to attack in different ways and made the most of it, taking the ball to the end line on some occasions, bringing it inside on others and even roaming to the right side of the team's attack. Muniz also did solid defensive work, having no trouble shutting down most of Bellaire's attempts on his side, and also supported the team's buildup, getting closer to the center backs to get on the ball.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0120_3ddb49.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278830" /></figure>    Playing in a single pivot in front of Lamar's backline, Reese was tireless and made a major impact in the match. His ability to win duels was of great value for Lamar, as because of his efficiency in stopping plays, the team's offensive players didn't have to spend too much energy on defense. The senior was very intelligent to read heavy first touches and was always the first one to get to second balls, helping the Texans keep possession in the attacking half. Reese also thrived in possession, keeping the ball with quick turns in the center of the field and connecting excellent long passes, which mostly targeted the team's wide players.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0136_879ff2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278836" /></figure>    Llorca's constant movement in the final third facilitated Lamar's offense and created a lot of problems for Bellaire's backline. He started the match playing as a striker and, even, facing taller and more physical players, did a good job of getting on the ball and connecting with his teammates. The junior forward moved to the left wing in the second half and was even more dangerous. Llorca was very successful when he tried to beat defenders in 1v1 situations, using his pace and technical skills to get by them, and sent some dangerous crosses into the penalty box. He had some chances to score and was a little bit unlucky for not getting one.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0128.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278832" /></figure>    Montelongo was very active on the right side of the field and performed well in the two different roles he played. The senior started the match playing as a wide midfielder and was very dangerous in the final third, engaging in quick combination plays to get to the end line and sending nice crosses into the penalty box. In the second half, he moved to right back and had a more conservative positioning, getting the team good defensive balance while Muniz pushed forward. Montelongo was very solid defensively and made some key actions on the defensive side of the ball.     A central midfielder, Davis was Bellaire's most efficient player in the match. He saw the ball a lot and consistently found efficient ways to get it to the team's attackers, be it with accurate passes or by dribbling it through the middle. The sophomore scored the team's goal in a shot from distance that surprised Lamar's goalkeeper Diego Compean and had a few other attempts, with no luck. Davis kept his energy level high until the end and continued to be very active on both sides of the ball.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0168.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278845" /></figure>    Tucker entered the match in the final minutes of the first half and ended up having a key role for his team. The junior goalkeeper was under heavy pressure in the second half with Bellaire pushing for an equalizer and opening up space on defense, but responded well and went until the end of the match without conceding. Tucker made many impressive saves, many of them in close-range shots, and kept the Cardinals in the game until the final whistle.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0152.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278839" /></figure>    Jasso was very efficient with the ball, taking good care of it and not wasting possession. He started the match playing more centrally in the midfield, but then moved to the left during the second half. He appeared in good spots to make plays and, even if he didn't have much of a strong presence in the final third to finish chances, was heavily involved in most of this team's playmaking during the game.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0176.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278849" /></figure>

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.