FORT WORTH - After winning their respective districts, both the Bearcat and Ladycat soccer clubs seemed poised to make a deep run in the playoffs. Unfortunately, it was not to be as both teams were upset in the bi-district round on Thursday, March 20, at Farrington Field.
The Ladycats had a tough matchup as they entered the postseason by drawing a physical Birdville team. The Lady Hawks dominated Aledo in terms of physicality, time of possession, and shots on goal. But with every attempt to make Aledo lose their will to fight, the Ladycats responded.
“I give credit to [the Lady Hawks],” Ladycats head coach Bryan Johnson said after the match. “They were good tonight. We stood up to it and did what we could. I was very impressed. May have been one of the best games we’ve played this season defensively, and just the grit, the performance, and the fight. As hard as [the Ladycats] went, they were playing for each other.”
Despite struggling to maintain possession of the ball, Aledo managed to get on the scoreboard first. Ainsley Elmore raced down the field along with a pair of Birdville center backs after a loose ball. The Lady Hawks keeper came out from her station to kick the ball back towards midfield, but misplayed it whiffing at the ball. As the ball trickled behind her, Elmore took out after the open goal. With a hand full of Elmore’s jersey, the Lady Hawks defenders tried with all their might to hold her back preventing the easy score. Sheer iron will and an unwavering determination allowed Elmore to reach the ball first as she got just enough on it to send it into the net with 8:24 left in the first half.
Aledo went into the half leading 1-0 despite being overrun by a bigger and more physical Birdville squad. That changed in the early moments of the second half as the Lady Hawks tied up the match 1-1 with a goal less than four minutes after play resumed.
Birdville played tough around the ball, but also took a number of liberties with Ladycats away from the ball throughout the contest. After numerous warnings by the officiating crew, the yellow cards finally came out of the pocket in the second half. The Lady Hawks picked up a pair of yellow cards along the way as Aledo continued to battle through all Birdville dished out.
With time winding down in regulation the Ladycats suffered two critical injuries. The first was a calf injury to Aledo’s leading scorer, Ally Weimer. She was unable to return during the two extra periods, but did make a goal during the shootout.
Minutes later Elmore also went down with a leg cramp, temporarily sidelining the Ladycats’ other major scoring threat. She battled the injury the rest of the match, including the two overtime periods. She also made a shot in the shootout to keep the Ladycats’ hopes alive.
Birdville took 22 shots throughout the contest with freshman Ladycat keeper Audrey “Stonewall” Obana stopping 16-of-17 shots on goal. The only one that managed to make through Obana’s defense ended up being the goal the Lady Hawks needed to push the match to extra time.
“We played 100 minutes of soccer and probably had one of the best keeper performances since, I don’t know when,” said Johnson of Obana’s performance. “I thought we were gonna win that one just with what she was doing. That was impressive! She did everything but score a goal for us. That would’ve easily been three or four to one if it wasn’t for the job she did.”
After two overtime periods and 100 total minutes of soccer, it came down to a shootout. Obana made a pair of stops to give the Ladycats a chance to stay in it with their final kick. Unfortunately, the ball ricocheted off the far post as the Lady Hawks advanced to the Area Finals.
“The girls played lights out,” Johnson said with a crack in his voice as the emotions began to seep in. “It just wasn’t meant to be. I really felt like coming in, we matched up so well. One, one was a great scoreline.”
With the conclusion of the 2025 playoff run, Johnson announced his retirement effective at the end of the school year.
“I’m done,” he said overcome with emotions. “That was it. It’s tough, but the retirement is in. I’m gonna do it. It’s the time to go. These girls need another voice. They need somebody that can take them to that next level. I’m not saying I can’t, but things are changing. Schools are changing. It’s time. I’m lucky to have been here as long as I have. It’s been an incredible run. But here we are, at the end.”
Johnson’s career at Aledo has been nothing short of exemplary. Beyond earning the first district championship in program history this season, he led the Ladycats all the way to the state championship game in 2017. Recently, he collected win No. 200 as the Ladycat head coach and No. 300 on his career back on Feb. 28, when the Ladycats decimated Saginaw on the road, 9-0.
As for his beloved Ladycats, Johnson believes their best days are still on the horizon. The only advice he has for his successor was short and sweet.
“With this team, just don’t wreck the Ferrari.”
Much like the girls match, the boys bi-district match was decided by a single goal.
The two teams jockeyed for possession with both teams hoping to launch a pass over the top of the opposing defense where their speedsters up front could take advantage of an easy goal opportunity. Both defenses held up through the first 20 minutes of play until Aledo’s Brody Gill put a ball in the back of the net with little more than 19 minutes left in the first half.
However, following an official review the goal was waved off for goalkeeper interference. The call simultaneously saved Richland from an early deficit and stole the momentum from Aledo.
“It was a totally different game if that goal counted in the first half,” Aledo head coach Derek Vierling commented after the match. “I think if that one counts, we win the thing three or four to nothing.”
Things continued on the same clip until Richland managed to score a goal with less than a minute left until halftime to lift Richland to a 1-0 lead.
The two teams managed to nullify each other with their halftime adjustments like a pair of expert chess players. As time wound down the desperation became palpable in a match that saw more yellow cards than goals. Time simply ran out on Aledo in the match, bringing the Bearcats’ 2025 campaign to an unexpected and abrupt end.
“[The Bearcats] left it on the field,” Vierling said of his squad. “They gave it everything they had. There was no lack of effort. We just couldn’t overcome it.”
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here