Frisco Wakeland, Keller boys moving onto regional finals

Plano 3, El Paso Eastlake 1: MCKINNEY – Plano’s Christian Cifuentes had a pair of goals, including the match-winning tally in the second half, helping Plano move onto the Class 6A Region I title match with a 3-1 win over El Paso Eastlake in a 6A Region I semifinal at McKinney ISD Stadium on Friday.

Plano (17-4-4 overall) didn’t waste much time getting on the scoreboard, as Cifuentes put away a rebound off a shot from Diego Zamora just four minutes in for a 1-0 edge.

The Plano defense, paced by seven first half saves by Henry Huffstetler, then held off several quick counters by the Eastland offense over the next 20 minutes to help keep the lead at 1-0 going to the half.

In the second half, Plano’s Nolan Giles helped spark the offense with a pair of nice shots on goal to keep the Eastland on its heels. The added pressure led to the second goal by Cifuentes at the 58th minute, scoring off rebound from a corner kick by Zamora.

Eastlake responded with a goal by Allen Mendez to cut the lead to 2-1 with 11 minutes to play, but Plano answered at the 76th minute on a goal by Gage Wood.

– Robert Thomas

Keller 2, McKinney Boyd 1 (SO): MCKINNEY – Keller’s Hudson McNew put away the decisive try in the eighth round of shootouts, with goalkeeper Aiden Tidwell coming up the only shootout save to power a 2-1 shootout win over McKinney Boyd in a Class 6A Region I semifinal on Friday at McKinney ISD Stadium.

Keller (23-2-0 overall) was a perfect 8-for-8 in shootout tries, while McKinney Boyd (19-4-1 overall) hit on its first seven tries before Tidwell’s final diving save.

Both teams played through a scoreless opening half, despite both squads having prime scoring chances. Keller outshot McKinney Boyd 5-4 in that half, but found themselves facing a 1-0 deficit early in the second half on a goal by Boyd’s Kaden Kitchens.

The Kitchens goal came off a rebound set up by a corner kick by Austin Woodruff in the 56th minute of the match.

However, Keller got the equalizer in the 70th minute from Ryan D’Urso off a rebound from a free kick by Matthew Sanchez.

Neither team could breakthrough after that, playing a pair of scoreless overtimes with Keller outshooting Boyd 3-1.

Tidwell, who only faced the final Boyd try in the shootout, racked up seven saves while Boyd goalie Julian Hinojosa stopped 11 shots.

– Robert Thomas

Wakeland 3, Mount Pleasant 0: CARROLLTON – Defending state champion Frisco Wakeland exploded for three goals in a six-minute stretch early in the second half for a 3-0 victory over Mount Pleasant in a Class 5A Region II semifinal Friday afternoon at Standridge Stadium.

Brennan Bezdek, one of 22 seniors on the Wakeland roster, scored the first two goals two minutes apart and Kyle Davis add the third four minutes later.

“The first half we were against the wind and it was hard to get going the way Mount Pleasant was playing us,’’ said Bezdek, a forward. “When we scored the first one, it opened it up. Everybody likes to see Kyle score because he does a cool dance.’’

Said Wakeland coach Andy Holt: “We just caught fire and things started clicking for us. Mount Pleasant had some very good scoring chances in the first half and we were fortunate.’’

Wakeland (21-4-1), ranked No. 15 nationally by MaxPreps, advances to the Region II title game set for 1 p.m. Saturday and will face the Highland Park-Frisco Lone Star winner.

Mount Pleasant (20-4-4) suffered regional tournament elimination at the hands of Wakeland for the third time in five years and has failed to score in all three matches.

Wakeland, making its ninth consecutive regional tournament appearance, has not allowed a goal in its last six regional matches.

-Randy Jennings

Stephenville 2, Midlothian Heritage 1: JUSTIN — Midlothian Heritage fell 2-1 to Stephenville in the Boys Class 4A semifinal Friday afternoon at Northwest ISD Stadium.

Stephenville’s Parker Plaxco, an Oral Roberts signee, notched a goal 14:52 before halftime then Anferny Moreno tallied another just over six minutes later to forge a 2-0 lead at intermission.

A penalty kick with 3:19 before halftime was a chance for Heritage to get back into the match, however it hit the crossbar and bounced away.

Less than six minutes into the second half, a Connor McRorey goal sliced the deficit to 2-1; however, Heritage did not mount any serious scoring threats the remainder of the game.

Midlothian Heritage (18-6-1), No. 12 in the MaxPreps 4A state rankings, emerged victorious by one goal in each of its earlier three playoff wins. After a 1-0 Bi-District victory over Fort Worth Benbrook, it eliminated Gainesville 3-2 in the Area round in which save a penalty kick with seven seconds left in the match. It then ousted defending 4A state runner-up Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis 3-2 in the regional quarterfinal.

Stephenville (21-2-1), No. 7 in the 4A state poll, advances to Saturday’s final, seeking its first-ever state tourney appearance.

Midlothian Heritage made its lone state tourney appearance in 2019, where it lost 1-0 in double overtime to San Elizario in the championship contest.

– Mike Waters

Find more high school sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

Sign up for our FREE HS newsletter