Grace Community’s Clyde-Perkins Stadium has already seen its share of playoff games since it opened in Dec. 2008.

For the first time, however, the Cougars’ field will host a postseason doubleheader.

The Grace boys and girls soccer teams open the TAPPS D-II playoffs today at home in the area round. The Cougars kick things off at 1 p.m. against El Paso Lydia Patterson with the Lady Cougars following at 3 p.m. against Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian. 

“I really expect the stadium to be full and packed,” girls coach Mitch Smith said. “I’m very excited.”

 

Boys

The Cougars (12-4-2) won TAPPS D-II District 2 with a 10-1-1 record and enter the playoffs as a No. 1 seed, meaning they’ll avoid a district champion until at least the state semifinals.

“It feels really good; it’s our first time to be a No. 1 seed so we’re pretty excited about that,” Cougars coach Tom Alden said. “We like the draw.”

Grace’s strength this year has been in its offense. Led by senior Garrett Pillsbury, who has a third of the team’s goals and assists, the Cougars have scored 65 goals, or 3.6 per game.

Pillsbury has 22 goals and 14 assists to lead the way. Behind him are senior Micah Florey (12 goals, five assists) and sophomore Will Hunter (10 goals, four assists).

The Cougars’ effectiveness on offense is in part due to their ability to attack in different ways. Grace has the speed to play through balls behind a defense, the wingers (Kendrick Wong and Cory Hazelip) to send in crosses, the shooting ability to rip shots from outside the 18-yard box and the ball skills to dribble through defenses, as Pillsbury and Hunter often do.

“We don’t just attack one way,” Alden said. “We have about four different ways we try to attack the goal and that makes it harder to defend.”

Grace’s defense was a question mark heading into the season given that its top five defenders graduated. 

With no time between the end of football season and start of district soccer, the Cougars back line had to learn on the fly.

“We’ve had to work out our kinks and issues through district but I think they’ve definitely improved and gotten better,” Alden said.

Junior Geoffrey Taylor has stepped up at sweeper while the rest of the defense has been bolstered by Nathan Herman, Jake Billings and Jordan Dyess. Marc Ritthaler will start in goal today after splitting time throughout the year with Hunter Stinson.

Lydia Patterson is a wild card given its independent status within TAPPS due to the lack of nearby schools with which it can compete. The El Paso school won three straight D-II state titles from 2005-2007, but hasn’t been to the state tournament since.

To earn the right to play Grace today, Lydia Patterson beat John Paul XXIII, 8-1, on Friday in a bi-district playoff at Clyde-Perkins Stadium.

The Cougars scouted their opponent from the stands Friday night.

“It’s not only a big advantage to watch them play but it’s a big advantage because they have to play two games on back-to-back days,” Alden said.

The winner of the boys game advances to play either Houston Lutheran High North or San Antonio TMI Episcopal in the regional playoffs.

 

Girls

The Lady Cougars (11-5-3, 6-2-2) earned a home playoff game by virtue of their second-place finish in District 2, losing only to defending state champion Dallas Parish Episcopal since late November.

Grace did it behind a young but stout defensive unit. Junior Whitney Bane is the defense’s only upperclassman and she’s joined on the back line by sophomores Reagan Richardson and Madelene Williams and freshman Madison Newman. 

Rilee Miller, Raquel Villareal and Lexi Trimble help lead Grace’s forward thrust while Abby Pennell will be in goal for the Lady Cougars.

Callie Pillsbury, who Smith described as the “heart and soul” of the team as the lone senior, and Caroline Rook control the tempo from the middle of the field.

Grace hasn’t lost to a team other than Parish Episcopal since district play began, including a 7-0 win over Class 4A Chapel Hill. The team’s two ties in district, to T.K. Gorman and Dallas Christian more than two months ago, came with Rook sidelined by injury.

“It’s nice to have them both together on the field again,” Smith said. “They’re really starting to click and gel.

“The team is right now peaking. We’re starting to hit our stride, starting to gain confidence.”

The Lady Eagles finished fourth in the 10-team District 4, edging Houston Second Baptist on a tie-breaker after both schools finished 10-8. Fort Bend Christian had a goal differential of minus-three in district compared to plus-15 for Second Baptist.

The Grace-Fort Bend Christian winner advances to play either Second Baptist or San Antonio Christian in the regional round.

The state final four is in San Antonio from Feb. 17-18.

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TAPPS Division II

Boys

Bi-District

El Paso Lydia Patterson 8, Katy Pope John Paul XXIII 1

Area

Grapevine Faith Christian 2, T.K. Gorman 1

El Paso Lydia Patterson at Grace Community, 1 p.m. Saturday, Clyde-Perkins Stadium

 

Girls

Area

T.K. Gorman 1, Fort Worth Southwest Christian 0

Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian at Grace Community, 3 p.m. Saturday, Clyde-Perkins Stadium

 

TAPPS Division III

Boys

Area

Tomball Rosehill Christian at Bullard Brook Hill, 5 p.m. Monday

 

Girls

Area

Bullard Brook Hill at Kerrville Our Lady of the Hills, noon Saturday