Celebrating our Lady Trojans for Senior Night

On Friday night, emotions were high as our Lady Trojans celebrated our Seniors for Senior night and battled against Creekview. 

We started the night with tears in our eyes as we honored our seniors. Managers Madelyn Bonilla and Annerlin Pinales were celebrated first, followed by varsity players Barbara Castrillo, Zania Wilder, and Anjuli Smith. Barbara is a powerhouse in the middle with beautiful footwork and is truly a player who knows the game. Zania is lightning on the left wing, her speed and left-footed shots a secret weapon on the pitch. Anjuli is a fortress in the back, always knowing when to step and win the ball back. The effort and commitment these girls have put into this program don’t go unnoticed, and when we think about the team without them, there will always be a hole unfilled. 

Once your varsity girls took the pitch, they knew what they needed to accomplish. Both teams were matched. Consistently going back and forth, neither team could find the back of the net. As the clock ticked down, neither team wanted to end in a tie. It was a tug-of-war, fighting in the middle to push forward. Ten minutes left, the Mustangs attacked. Five minutes left, we attacked back. Three minutes left, uproar. A ball from Creekview soars into the middle of the box, where Senior Anjuli Smith traps it with her stomach. The ref blows their whistle and indicates a penalty kick. A “handball” in the box. Outrage pours from the stands and our bench as Creekview players and fans cheer. They take the PK. They score. Newman Smith was left in disbelief as the final whistle blew, ending the game in a 0-1 loss. 

The aftermath of the varsity’s game lit a fire in JV.

They wanted a win, and gave 110% effort to find the back of the net. Injuries in our defense caused a change in our lineup, but that didn’t stop our Lady Trojans from keeping their stride in the offense. They pushed, and both teams were aggressive. Unfortunately, the fire was too hot: both teams earned red cards, leaving them and us a player down and causing further disruption to our line-up. Before the half-time whistle blew, Creekview plows through keeper Junior Irianyela Gonzalez as she goes for a save, leaving her injured at half-time. Our lineup was disrupted further, taking defender Junior Jolie Leal off the pitch and bringing in a defender to guard the goal. Jolie did amazing, even saving a PK from an actual handball in the box. However, it was not enough, as Creekview capitalized on an unprepared goalie, ending the match with a 0-3 loss. 

These girls have fought for the past four weeks and get a well-deserved break this Tuesday. The season resumes at home on Friday against Frisco Lone Star. 

KRISTA GWYNN