Pine Tree edges Lindale in shootout

Published 11:32 pm Thursday, March 24, 2016

Pine Tree goal keeper Alejandro Castillo went low to deny Lindale’s Michael Moyer of his penalty kick, thus securing a 5-4 shootout triumph for the Pirates in Thursday’s Class 5A bi-district battle at Tyler Junior College’s Pat Hartley Field.

The two teams fought furiously through 100 minutes, with neither able to garner a score.



After Pine Tree’s Brenan Alley misfired on the first shot in the shootout, Lindale’s KJ Khalil drilled his kick true and gave the Eagles a 1-0 advantage.

The teams traded scores as Pine Tree’s Juan Garcia and Fernando Magana and Lindale’s Landon Malone and Michael Winters did same.

Pine Tree’s Adrian Martinez kicked one in on the lower left of the net to make it 3-3. Uriah Shipman’s bid to give the Eagles a 4-3 lead went awry when his kick hit the top of the goal post.

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The Pirates seized the opportunity and Luke Yoder gave the blue-clad Bucs their first lead at 4-3. Lindale countered with a tying score from David Franke before Allan Maceda pushed it back to 5-4 for Pine Tree.

It came down to the heartstopping denial by Castillo that sent the Pirates (16-2-5) into the area round of the playoffs. Site and time for the second round has not yet been determined.

“At times I didn’t think we were going to have it today. But our seniors just refuse to lose. I take my hat off to all the players. They simply weren’t going to be denied,” said Pirate coach Andre Lo.

Twitter: @GPigskinprof