TX: Bridgeland beat Pasadena in nine-goal warm-up match

Not a lot happened during the high school soccer season this week in Texas as most districts in the Lone Star State were off for spring break, but some contests took place around the state, either for district play or preparation for the playoffs.   Prep Soccer Texas followed one of the warm-up matches held in the Houston area on Friday, with the Bridgeland Bears hosting the Pasadena Eagles in Cypress. It was an exciting, high-scoring match, which ended with the home team prevailing 6-3.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/03/texas-hs-boys-bridgeland-vs-pasadena-photos/">Photos: Bridgeland vs. Pasadena</a></li> </ul>   Playing on the road, Pasadena had a strong start and quickly built a 2-0 lead. In the first goal, sophomore Josue Mejia made a great play on the right and passed the ball for senior Yair Perez to score. A few minutes later, the Eagles scored again, with sophomore Mauricio Calderon, who fired a beautiful shot from outside the penalty box. The Bears responded in a quick transition play, which saw senior Samuel Bonilla cross for senior Jared Cooper to score.   Another senior, Jaeden Clark, got on the ball inside the penalty box and fired a low shot into the lower corner to level the score for Bridgeland. The Bears jumped ahead when senior Jonah Baba brought the ball inside from the left and shot from outside the penalty box, but the home team couldn't get the halftime break leading because senior Madaleno Cruz got into the penalty box and scored for Pasadena, evening the score again at 3-3.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">After an intense first 45 minutes, <a href="https://twitter.com/Bridgeland_FC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bridgeland_FC</a> and Pasadena are tied 3-3 at the halftime break. <a href="https://t.co/301AmdbcNZ">pic.twitter.com/301AmdbcNZ</a>— Guilherme Torres (@grtorres) <a href="https://twitter.com/grtorres/status/1900695590490738777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote>   Bridgeland made a few changes after the halftime break and looked more stable in the second half, taking control of the game. The Bears took the lead at 4-3 after Baba assisted senior Hayden Wingo, who scored with a powerful shot in the upper corner. A few minutes later, a quick combination play found senior Ahonsi Longe inside the penalty box and he buried it with a well-placed shot. Near the end, senior Nicolas Ramos sent a long pass forward and fellow senior Christian Cochran bet the opponents for the ball to score with a soft finish, determining the team's 6-3 victory.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/Bridgeland_FC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bridgeland_FC</a> with another chance right before the final whistle, but can't score and the match ends 6-3 for the Bears over Pasadena. Photos and Match Report coming up soon at <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepSoccerTX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepSoccerTX</a>. <a href="https://t.co/4B5PZsDD92">pic.twitter.com/4B5PZsDD92</a>— Guilherme Torres (@grtorres) <a href="https://twitter.com/grtorres/status/1900727407084011533?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote>   The District 16 champions with 11 wins, one loss and two ties, Bridgeland now have 14 wins, three losses and four ties for the season. Pasadena finished second in District 18 with eight wins and four losses and now have 11 wins and nine losses in the season.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    The senior was Bridgeland's main playmaker and was involved in most of what the team built offensively while he was on the field. Baba started the match playing more centrally and was very good at creating space with his dribbling skills and finding teammates in great spots in the final third with smart diagonal passes. He moved to the left side of the team's attack during the first half and became even more dangerous, taking on defenders and creating chance after chance in 1v1 plays. Baba scored the team's third goal in the match by bringing the ball inside and shooting from outside the penalty - he was a little bit lucky that the wind altered the ball's path as it fooled Pasadena's goalkeeper.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2J4A0013_770e19.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-282025" /></figure>    The senior was very active in his box-to-box role, doing solid work on and off the ball. Wingo covered a lot of ground in the center of the field and worked well with fellow midfielder Gabriel Hopp, who stayed back to provide coverage on most occasions. When on the ball, he displayed a good ability to distribute the game, at times finding wide midfielders in good spots and, on other occasions, progressing it through quick give-and-gos in the middle. Wingo also made some great runs off the ball that helped him appear open on the edge of the penalty box to finish chances - he scored the team's fourth goal in one of those plays and had another opportunity to score, but saw his shot go a few inches wide.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2J4A0064.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-282046" /></figure>    The senior split time between the midfield and the backline and was a stud on the right side for Bridgeland. On either spot, Bonilla pushed forward very frequently and helped the team create many chances- he assisted in the team's first goal in a quick transition play. His intensity on the right side forced Pasadena's left-sided center back Diego Gonzalez to step up to challenge him, creating space in the middle, which was explored by his teammates. Bonilla displayed impressive energy to run the field up and down and was very effective on defense too.     The senior played a few different roles for Bridgeland and made a strong impact on the team's play. Cooper started the match playing as a center forward and showed good presence inside the penalty box to score the team's first goal, but also did a great job dropping back to get on the ball and distribute it. Cooper spent some time in the attacking midfielder role and connected well with the players around him, displaying great intelligence on the ball. He was pushed even further back, operating as a number eight, and was very engaged defensively, making good tackles and helping his team dominate the middle.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2J4A0027_0dc8d6.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-282031" /></figure>    As with Bridgeland's entire defensive system, the senior had a difficult first half, struggling to defend the space behind his back and allowing three goals. Ramos stepped up during the second half, adjusting his positioning, and helped the team end the second half with a clean sheet after he intercepted many passes in the air and won several duels on the floor. The center back's passing range and quality on the ball were important for the Bears the entire time as he played a major role in their buildup, connecting short and long passes out of the back. Ramos moved up to play as a defensive midfielder near the end of the match and assisted in the team's sixth goal with a long pass. He also appeared in the attacking penalty box on a couple of occasions, but couldn't score.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2J4A0019_943a56.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-282028" /></figure>    Playing the number ten role, the sophomore was Pasadena's most dangerous offensive player. Calderon was very effective in the final third, beating opponents off the dribble and finding his teammates with good passes, but also did a good job when he dropped deeper to get on the ball and initiate plays. He scored the team's second goal with a powerful shot from outside the penalty box and almost got another one on a free kick. Calderon also worked hard off the ball and was very good at pressing defenders - he won the ball in the attacking half on a couple of occasions and initiated quick transition plays.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Mauricio Calderon with the dangerous free kick shot for Pasadena but Blake Dauphin makes the stop. <a href="https://t.co/8FUgH1sCZU">pic.twitter.com/8FUgH1sCZU</a>— Guilherme Torres (@grtorres) <a href="https://twitter.com/grtorres/status/1900694223365570605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote>    The senior was very solid in midfield for the Eagles and played a big role in their strong first-half performance, helping the team control the center of the field and winning several second balls to keep possession. Chaverria used his body very well to win duels and protect the ball and played with great intensity on defense. When on the ball, he was very efficient at connecting long passes and also did a good job when he stepped into the attacking half, assisting in the team's third goal.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2J4A0045_9879dc.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-282039" /></figure>    The dynamic sophomore was consistently dangerous in the first half, assisting in the team's first goal and creating a few other opportunities for his team. A lefty, Mejia played on the right side of Pasadena's midfield and used his pace and dribbling ability to beat defenders and take the ball to the end line - he also brought it inside on a few occasions and combined with his teammates. His level of play dropped in the second half, also because Bridgeland reorganized their defensive system, and he moved to the left to try and recover his form, with little success.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2J4A0081_fb8edc.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-282055" /></figure>

Not a lot happened during the high school soccer season this week in Texas as most districts in the Lone Star State were off for spring break, but some contests took place around the state, either for district play or preparation for the playoffs.