Skeeters Sting Jesuit in Soccer Thriller

By Sam Weiger / Contributor

GARLAND — After a week’s worth of overtime heroics, Jesuit Dallas couldn’t repeat the feat again as its soccer season ended on Saturday.

Following a 1-1 tie after regulation, Mesquite topped the Rangers 4-1 in a penalty-kick shootout in a Class 6A Division II state semifinal, leaving Jesuit one win short of the state championship game.

“Mesquite was really good, they had a lot of possession so we had to fight really hard to stay in this game,” said Jesuit head coach Charlie DeLong. “They were probably the better team.”

While the Skeeters dominated possession and shots on goal, Jesuit’s defense held firm inside the 18. After a lull in the first half, Mesquite quietly breached Jesuit’s defense, with Osmin Hernandez chipping a shot into the back corner of the net in the 21st minute for a 1-0 lead.

Only five minutes elapsed before Mesquite threatened again, with a header from an in-swinging ball bouncing off the crossbar.

In the second half, the Rangers (21-2) gained momentum through improved possession. With only 13 minutes left in the game, sophomore Zane Roland received a long throw-in directly in front of the goal and powerfully shot the ball past the keeper, leveling the score at 1-1.

In the final minutes of regulation, Mesquite unleashed a flurry of shots, but Jesuit’s defense blocked every attempt. With just two minutes remaining, the Skeeters finally managed a dangerous shot on target, but Jesuit goalkeeper Marcelo Elizondo made a spectacular diving save, sending the game into overtime — the Rangers’ third consecutive playoff game to go beyond regulation.

Jesuit appeared to have the edge in energy during the first overtime period, but struggled to create any scoring opportunities. Mesquite’s offense resurfaced late in the first overtime frame, producing another powerful shot with less than a minute remaining. However, Elizondo once again delivered an exceptional diving save, maintaining the 1-1 deadlock heading into the second overtime period.

Carrying that momentum into the second overtime period, the Skeeters (19-3-4) peppered Jesuit’s goal with shots but failed to score. It appeared as if Jesuit’s defense was impenetrable.

With the score remaining level after four periods, Mesquite converted all four of its penalty kicks, while Jesuit only managed to score on one of its three attempts.

The shootout concluded Jesuit’s 17-game winning streak, its lengthy playoff run, and its statistically remarkable season.

“It’s great to finish 21-2 and only give up 10 goals all year in 23 games,” DeLong said. “A good team, good effort, good organization — you don’t get this far without having all of that.”