The final game of the UIL Soccer season did not disappoint.
Georgetown’s illustrious Birkelbach Field was in full uproar, Saturday night, as the Seven Lakes Spartans faced off against the Dripping Springs Tigers to claim the title of State Champions.
Fresh off the heels of their overtime thriller in the State Semis against Garland Sachse, in which they came away with a 3-1 victory, Seven Lakes Soccer was bringing the momentum of an utterly dominant season, not to mention a stadium full of their hometown fans.
After a scoreless first half, the Spartans were the first to strike, with a goal by one of the team's captains, Hunter Merritt (Sr. F) in the 56th minute, scoring off a deflection made by Dripping Springs goalkeeper, Lucas Perez.
Subsequently, Merritt would claim yet another score via a rocket to the bottom right corner of the net, giving Seven Lakes a 2-0 lead with 18 minutes remaining in regulation.
Dripping Springs would make a rebuttal, by way of a free kick scored by Joey Svoboda with 13 minutes left. However, that's all the Tigers could muster, as the Seven Lakes backline proved to be the unwavering force H-Town has come to know.
After an absolute slugfest of a match, the Seven Lakes bench stormed the field at the sound of the final buzzer. They had become State Champions for the first time in school history, and claimed the distinction of being the only boys’ soccer club in Katy ISD to have accomplished that feat.
“There's a lot of emotion wrapped up in this," said Head Coach Jim Krueger. "This was something that was bound to happen, with the quality of the boys' programs at Katy ISD. When I started this job, I wanted to create a competitive program that elevates everyone else, and allows someone to break through the barrier. I'm so pleased that we were the ones to do it, and I can assure you, we won't be the last in Katy ISD."
In his sixteen years at Seven Lakes, Krueger has built the program into the powerhouse we see today, and now he and the rest of Spartans Soccer have the hardware to back it up.
“All of this starts with our administration, they've always been so supportive," Krueger said. "It's been amazing to experience with them, and with the fans we have here. This is a perfect storybook ending for our seniors. They're so deserving, because they've battled and done what is necessary to win it all. I'm beyond proud of them."
Throughout the match, despite a valiant effort, it was clear that the Seven Lakes attack was too much for Dripping Springs to handle, particularly due to the exemplary performance by Hunter Merritt (St. Edwards-signee) who unanimously earned the Class 6A Boys State Tournament MVP selection.
“This was definitely a team performance, I can't take all the credit," said Merritt. "A big reason we all had the drive to finish this journey is because of the fan base. A lot of my best friends are up there, supporting us the whole way, and when we hear them cheering us on it just hypes us up and makes us want to win it even more."
And what does the future hold for Seven Lakes Soccer and the rest of the loaded Katy ISD division?
“From this year's senior class, including myself, we're very good but the junior class and below is even better," Merritt said. "With all the guys on this roster, they have the potential to be even more dominant than we've been."
Anticipate a possible return for Seven Lakes when the next season comes around. For now, it is time for the Champs to return home and celebrate.
Midfielder Aidan Morrison (No. 10)
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Midfielder Noa Stasic (No. 7)
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Midfielder Daniel Ejerenwa (No. 11) clears the ball out of the Penalty Box
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Midfielder Abdullah Soliman (No. 8)
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Midfielder Kortay Koc (No. 6)
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