Guyer boys soccer team hopes to build playoff momentum

With only two games left before the playoffs begin, the Guyer boys could conceivably finish in a tie for District 11-4A’s best record or squeak in as the fourth place team. Either way, they’re postseason bound. But the focus is obviously on building momentum.

“It’s one of those situations where we haven’t been able to put it all together yet, but we have a chance to in these last two games,” Guyer coach Cody Schroeder said. “This is the very type of competition we will see in the playoffs.”

The Wildcats (10-8-4, 4-3-1) head into Tuesday’s game at Lake Dallas as the No. 3 team behind Byron Nelson (6-1-1 in district) and Birdville (5-1-2). They’ll host Birdville on Friday. If Guyer wins out and both Nelson and Birdville lose their final two league games, Guyer would finish in a tie (record wise) with Nelson but would be the No. 2 seed because of their two losses to the Bobcats.

Guyer beat Lake Dallas (1-5-2) 2-1 on Feb. 19 and scored on a penalty kick with 30 seconds left in regulation to tie Birdville 1-1 three days later. Since then, the Wildcats have won two of their last three with shutout wins over Denton and Argyle.

“Nothing has been easy,” Schroeder said. “Defensively, we gave up seven goals in two losses to Nelson but we also scored five goals against them and they are the top team right now. Denton beat us in the first district game, then we turn around and beat them 2-0. Even though we beat Lake Dallas, that’s a solid team, too. If we win out, we can build a lot of momentum.”

McKenna Cook has scored five of his nine goals in the last five games. That includes two against Denton, two against Nelson and another goal in a 2-0 win over Argyle before spring break. Connor Bourgeois has 13 goals and Sean Diamond has racked up 13 assists.

Despite the jump back down to Class 4A this past offseason, the Wildcats were considered young in 2013. Schroeder returns seven players from last year’s 12-7-4 team, but only three or four played what he called, “extensively”. The team boasts 14 new players from junior varsity and two freshman.

Diamond is a four-year starter and the team’sengine at center midfield while Cook is back for his third season on varsity.