The District 18-6A soccer championships came down to one of Houston ISD’s best rivalries Friday at Butler Stadium.
Lamar prevailed in both, with the girls ending Bellaire’s nine-year run atop the district and the Texans clinching their third straight crown in the boys match.
Freshman Nahomy Portillo’s direct kick in the 67th minute produced a 1-0 victory in the first match of the doubleheader. It was one of few scoring chances between the teams, with neither taking more than five shots on goal.
“The girls did great,” Lamar coach Guy Nell said. “We knew they were going to come out hard. We knew this team is tried and tested. They haven’t won nine straight district championships for a reason. My girls did a great job weathering the storm when things weren’t going well at times. Then we were able to rally. All credit to them, they did awesome.”
Lamar earned its first district title since 2013, finishing with a 11-0-1 record in 18-6A. Included was a 2-2 draw, later won by the Cardinals (9-1-2) on penalty kicks. Lamar had not defeated Bellaire in regulation in a decade.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Lamar junior Jojo Pastore said.
Lamar needed only a tie to seal first place. Bellaire nearly broke the duel before halftime as Anneliese Switzer tipped a shot just wide of the net and Grishma Oooman missed by an even smaller margin. The Cardinals challenged again early in the second half but a close-range shot by Malini Dinius was stopped by Abbi Agosta.
“It’s always a tight game,” Lamar senior Kitzya Galaz Morfin said. “We know it’s going to be aggressive. We know it’s going to be either we win it all or we lose it all. But at the end of the game we came through.”
The Texans drew a pair of fouls midway through the half and broke through when Portillo’s 30-yard shot from the right side soared into the top of the net.
“It set the mood from there,” Lamar senior Ali Germann said. “We felt more relaxed and we settled the ball. We felt like we had it.”
A back line including Germann, Linnea Scheet, Marley Reese, Avery Knight and Abby Archila helped preserve the Texans’ fifth consecutive shutout.
Lamar looks to break another drought in the postseason, with their last playoff win in a 2010 area round. Bellaire was the only 18-6A team to advance in the Region III-6A girls bracket last year.
“We’ll be playing Cy Creek,” Nell said. “We watched them play a couple times. They’re a good team. They’re always finishing near the top in that district. We think we match up pretty decently with them, but it’s going to come down to how we play. It’s going to be another tough game. There aren’t any easy games in Houston in the playoffs.”
Both matches featured postseason intensity, with Bellaire and Lamar pushing the ball from the opening kick in the boys match. The Cardinals (8-3-1) scored first, with Brandon Gervacio tapping in a throw-in by Steven Berrios in the 16th minute.
But the Texans (9-1-2), who had a two-point lead in the standings entering the night, evened the score by halftime on a free kick rocket by Michael Ordonez and prevailed 3-1.
“These seniors, they know each other,” Lamar coach Jeremy Davison said. “These kids play together all the time. That backyard soccer, this is what you dream of. This is what you play for and we rose to the occasion. That’s all I ask of my guys. They got the best of a good Bellaire team tonight. I will give it up to Bellaire. But my guys put in a lot of work and we three-peat.”
Lamar and Bellaire were scoreless in their first meeting, with the Cardinals adding an extra point on penalty kicks.
Both teams had ample set pieces during a physical second match. The Texans took advantage while producing 14 shots on goal, taking a 2-1 lead in the 59th minute as Ordonez’s corner was booted in by Eric Romero.
German Gonzalez, who made a diving save a first-half strike by Alex Oropeza, helped maintain the slim lead long enough for Douglas Espinoza to put the game away.
“I want to give a big shoutout to Douglas for the nail in the coffin,” Davison said. “That kid has worked his butt off. He’s been coming off the bench all year. My guys on the bench have stayed true and battle tested. He got some time tonight and he made the best of three minutes.”
The Texans look to continue another trend in the postseason, as they have one three consecutive bi-district playoffs. Lamar starts with a rematch of last year’s playoff opener, a 4-2 victory against Northbrook.
“We took care of them last year so hopefully we can do that again this year,” Davison said. “That’s a good team over there. I think they’re going to be quick and fast and strong but my guys will be ready coming off the break.”‘
