Defending state champ Panthers prevail over Chargers on penalty kicks

BUDA – Boerne Champion left everything on the field last Thursday when the Charger boys soccer team tangled with defending state champion Liberty Hill in the first round of the 5A DII playoffs at Bob Shelton Stadium in Buda.

It was scoreless through regulation and overtime and went to penalty kicks. During the shootout, the Chargers made their first four kicks, but the Panthers eventually prevailed, 5-4, to advance to the next round.

Champion coach Dustin Gold said he was proud of how the team played.

“Our guys showed incredible effort and heart in their performance, and I was extremely proud of them,” he said. “Our defense has really tightened up in the last three weeks or so, and to hold a Liberty Hill team returning their top three scorers from their state-championship team from the year before to no goals in 100 minutes of soccer shows you how locked in our defense and goalkeeper (Landon Albright) were.”

Once it went to the shootout, Bryce Knell, Grayson Moran, Ethan Souza and Jones Ferguson knocked in their penalty kicks.

Liberty Hill made their first PK, missed their second, but converted their final three. The Chargers were up 4-3 going into that fifth kick but missed, and the Panthers made theirs, and it was 4-4 after five kicks.

At that point, both teams sent out their next five kickers. Champion went first and missed.

Liberty Hill made their kick and started celebrating, but Gold said he was told by the officials that they would use all five of their second set of kickers regardless.

The celebration stopped while the officials looked into it and ultimately, they ruled that it was a golden goal situation or next goal won it, and the celebration continued for the Panthers.

Gold said “golden goal” or “sudden death” is the rule once they get to the sixth kicker but added that he was told they would use all five kickers, which muddied the situation and why he questioned the officials afterwards.

“The refs had said to both coaches that the second set of five would be the entire five (kickers), but when their team ran off in the celebration, their coach had them dig into the rule,” he said. “They overturned what they had said, and it became the golden goal penalty that won the game.”

Seniors listed on the roster for the Chargers are Tobias Brosien, Grayson Moran, Kevin Grover, Noah Umbreit, Bryce Knell, Ethan Souza, Simon Trevino, Jones Ferguson, Alister Clyne and Emilio Linaje.