S P M A H C E T STA 2015
K O O L A R O F E D I S N I SEE BACK AT THE LUFKIN PANTHERS SOCCER N U R E L T I T ’S M A E T
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Thursday, April 23, 2015 the lufkin news
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ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News
Members of the Texas Class 5A state soccer champion Lufkin Panthers pose for a photo after their 3-1 victory over Georgetown East View in the title game at Georgetown High School Saturday. Team members are Terry Mark, Sammy Villegas, Rodrigo Vargas, Cristian Julian, Cesar Camacho, Jesus Cisneros, Bradley Slusher, Alexis Roque, Omar Zamarripa, Javy Montes, Kacy Bennett, Javier Patlan, Chris Marquez, Dorian Bravo, Cristhian Pineda, Luis Lopez, Jake Williams, Joel Rodriguez, Gustavo Garcia, Ivan Hernandez, Omar Roque and Miguel Gonzales. Head coach is Russell Shaw and assistant coaches are David McPherson and Eliazar Caldera. Trainers are Forestt Bridges and Sarah Hartman. Student trainer is Edgar Medellin. Student managers are Colton Radke and Jessie Santoyo.
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lufkin panthers schedule Date Opponent Score Jan. 8 Duncanvile (Klein Showcase) L, 1-0 Jan. 9 The Woodlands College Park (Klein Showcase) L, 2-0 Jan. 10 Klein Collins (Klein Showcase) T, 0-0 Jan. 15 Kilgore (Longview Invitational) W, 2-1 Jan. 16 Mount Pleasant (Longview Invitational) W, 2-0 Jan. 17 Shreveport Captain, La. W, 2-1 Jan. 20 Longview W, 2-0 Jan. 22 Marshall (Lufkin Panther Showcase) W, 5-0 Jan. 23 Conroe Oak Ridge (Lufkin Panther Showcase) W, 2-1 Jan. 24 Beaumont West Brook (Lufkin Panther Showcase) W, 2-0 District 16-5A Jan. 30 Nacogdoches W, 1-0 Feb. 3 at Jacksonville W, 1-0 Feb. 10 Whitehouse W, 1-0 Feb. 13 at Corsicana W, 5-1 Feb. 17 Lindale W, 4-0 Feb. 20 at John Tyler W, 3-0 Feb. 24 at Nacogdoches W, 2-1 Feb. 27 Jacksonville W, 2-1 March 6 at Whitehouse W, 3-0 March 13 Corsicana W, 5-0 March 17 at Lindale W, 2-0 March 20 John Tyler W, 3-2 Postseason March 26 Longview W, 3-1 April 3 Dallas Spruce W, 2-0 April 8 Mount Pleasant W, 1-1 (5-4, PK) April 10 Frisco Wakeland W, 1-0 April 11 Wylie East W, 4-3 April 17 Tomball Memorial W, 1-0 April 18 Georgetown East View W, 3-1
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lufkin panthers roster No. Name Pos. Class. 1 Terry Mark Goalkeeper Sr. 3 Sammy Villegas Midfielder Jr. 4 Rodrigo Vargas Midfielder Sr. 5 Cristian Julian Midfielder Sr. 6 Cesar Camacho Midfielder Sr. 7 Jesus Cisneros Forward Sr. 8 Bradley Slusher Defender Sr. 9 Alexis Roque Midfielder Jr. 10 Omar Zamarripa Forward Sr. 11 Javy Montes Defender Sr. 12 Kacy Bennett Defender Jr. 13 Javier Patlan Forward Jr. 14 Chris Marquez Defender Sr. 15 Dorian Bravo Defender Jr. 17 Cristhian Pineda Midfielder Jr. 18 Luis Lopez Midfielder Jr. 19 Jake Williams (C) Defender Sr. 21 Gustavo Garcia Defender Jr. 22 Ivan Hernandez Defender Jr. 24 Omar Roque (C) Goalkeeper Sr. 26 Miguel Gonzalez Midfielder Sr. Head coach: Russell Shaw Assistant coaches: David McPherson, Eliazar Caldera Trainers: Forestt Bridges, Sarah Hartman Student trainer: Edar Medellin Student managers: Colton Radke, Jessie Santoyo
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Thursday, April 23, 2015 the lufkin news
Dreams come true for 2015 Panthers Lufkin fights way to state championship By JOSH HAVARD The Lufkin News
Sometimes dreams really do come true. Just ask the 2015 version of the Lufkin Panthers’ soccer team. Even as a tradionally strong program, the Panthers had never advanced past the regional semifinal round of the playoffs before this season. Even with that in mind, the Panthers set their sights on a state title even before the season kicked off. It seemed like a mere pipe dream when it was shut out in its first three games and left the Klein Showcase with an 0-2-1 record. As it turns out, that was just a mere speed bump for a team that would eventually make history. Following that weekend, the wins started piling up. The rest of Lufkin’s regular season had a major focus on “the streak,” ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News which reached 19 straight wins headed Lufkin defenders Jake Williams (19) and Kacy Bennett (12) celebrate Bennett’s head-in goal in the first half of the Panthers’ into the playoffs. state championship match against Georgetown East View. The goal turned out to be the game-winner in the Pack’s 3-1 victory. SEE CHAMPS, PAGE 5C Lufkin’s win at the state title game was its 26th straight victory.
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Champs Continued from Page 4C
ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News
Lufkin goalkeeper Omar Roque gives his teammates instructions as he prepares to defend a free kick in the second half of the Panthers’ 3-1 victory over Georgetown East View in the Class 5A championship Saturday in Georgetown. Roque started every game for the Panthers during their run to the team’s first ever state championship trophy.
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From there, “the streak” gave way to the chase for a state title. And when Lufkin walked off the field with a 3-1 win over previously undefeated Georgetown East View on April 18, the dream was a reality. The Panthers were state champions for the first time in school history. They also became the first East Texas team to ever capture a state soccer title. “We’ve been after this for a long time, but it’s still unbelievable,” state championship MVP Omar Zamarripa said. “I don’t know if a lot of people thought we could do this, but we believed in ourselves. It’s a dream come true.” Lufkin finished off the regular season with a 26-2-1 record. Those 26 wins set school records both for longest winning streaks and most victories in a season. Included in that total was a perfect march through 16-5A action as well as a 7-0 trip through the postseason. Lufkin won 25 of those games in regulation. The lone tie was against Mount Pleasant, which Lufkin took down in a shootout in the regional quarterfinals. “We’ve got Panther Nation here,” Lufkin head coach Russell Shaw said. “But now we’ve also got a Soccer Nation.
Josh Havard’s email address is jhavard@lufkindailynews.com.
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That’s what we’ve been building all these years. Everybody that’s come through this program has at least a little part of that.” Shaw said this year’s group of Panthers was one he would never forget even before the playoffs began. Their run through the playoffs simply cemented that status. “We’re so blessed with this group of boys,” Shaw said. “Their character is outstanding and they’re so coachable. They just wouldn’t settle for anything but the best.” Lufkin finished the season as the No. 36 team in the nation according to TopDrawerSoccer.com. They were also the ninth-ranked team in the state among all classifications. However, those rankings meant little compared to the title the Panthers brought home with them from Georgetown. “This is something we are going to remember forever,” Lufkin defender Kacy Bennett, who scored a goal in the title game, said. “This is almost impossible to put into words. To accomplish this as a team is something nobody can take away from us.”
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Thursday, April 23, 2015 the lufkin news
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ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News
Lufkin’s Kacy Bennett, Bradley Slusher and Jake Williams wait to receive their gold medals for the Panthers’ Texas Class 5A soccer championship victory Saturday in Georgetown.
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ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News
Lufkin’s Gustavo Garcia controls the ball during the Panthers’ state championship match against Georgetown East View.
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the lufkin news Thursday, April 23, 2015
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ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News
Lufkin Panthers assistant soccer coach David McPherson, left, hugs his son, Cutter, as the Pack celebrates its state championship victory Saturday in Georgetown.
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Thursday, April 23, 2015 the lufkin news
ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News
Lufkin’s Alexis Roque (9) and Javy Montes (11) defend the Panthers’ goal in the first half of the state championship match.
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ANDY ADAMS/ The Lufkin News
Lufkin High School Principal Mark Smith, left, and Lufkin ISD Superintendent LaTonya Goffney award state championship medals to members of the Panthers soccer team after their 3-1 victory over Georgetown East View in the title game Saturday in Georgetown.
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Thursday, April 23, 2015 the lufkin news
lufkindailynews.com ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News
Lufkin’s Javier Patlan is tripped up as he tries to advance the ball during the Panthers’ state championship match against Georgetown East View. Patlan, who was District 16-5A’s Offensive Player of the Year, was the primary focus of defenses throughout the season, including in Saturday’s game against East View. That led to a late changeup for Lufkin that allowed Omar Zamarripa to score the final goal. “They were beating “Torta” up pretty good,” Lufkin head coach Russell Shaw said. “So we switched Omar (Zamarripa) up to the top and he got just a little bit of space. He made the most of it.”
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CONGRATULATIONS, Lufkin Panther Soccer Team!
ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News
Lufkin’s Chris Marquez takes a hard shot during the Panthers’ state championship victory over Georgetown East View on Saturday in Georgetown. Marquez picked the right time to score his first goal of the season as his semifinal score was the difference in a 1-0 win.
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Thursday, April 23, 2015 the lufkin news
ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News
Lufkin’s Rodrigo Vargas passes the ball during the Panthers’ state championship match against Georgetown East View.
Lufkin’s Cesar Camacho, left, battles for control of the ball during the Panthers’ 3-1 victory over Georgetown East View in the Class 5A soccer championship Saturday. Camacho was among many players who stepped up for the Panthers in the postseason. He had the game-winning score in the shootout win over Mount Pleasant.
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ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News
Lufkin’s Jake Williams heads the ball during the Panthers’ 3-1 victory over Georgetown East View on Saturday in the state championship in Georgetown.
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ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News
Lufkin’s Omar Zamarripa drives down the field during the Panthers’ state championship victory Saturday in Georgetown. Zamarripa scored two of the Pack’s goals and was named MVP of the tournament.
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Thursday, April 23, 2015 the lufkin news
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ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News
Lufkin’s Omar Zamarripa, who was named the MVP of the Texas Class 5A soccer tournament, celebrates the Panthers’ 3-1 victory in the title game.
ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News
Lufkin’s Luis Lopez (18) defends during the Panthers’ state championship victory.
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the lufkin news Thursday, April 23, 2015
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ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News
Lufkin Panthers head soccer coach Russell Shaw, center, celebrates with team members and Lufkin High School Athletic Director Todd Quick, seen at right, after receiving the 2015 Class 5A state soccer championship trophy Saturday in Georgetown. It was Shaw’s first state championship after 29 years of leading the Panthers’ program. It was also the first ever state soccer championship won by an East Texas team.
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