Offense puts on show as girls soccer team advances

March 27, 2024

Surrounded by teammates, senior Brynn Baldon smiles and laughs with junior Bailey Fovargue. Baldon scored after volleying a ball delivered by Fovargue, giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead against Whitehouse in the first round of the playoffs on March 26 in Lufkin. Kingwood Park advanced to the Area Round with a 3-0 victory.

Junior Bailey Fovargue could only see the shadow of senior Brynn Baldon on the other side of the field because of the glaring sun setting at Hudson High School in Lufkin. However, Fovargue could hear Baldon shouting for the ball.

Fovargue sent the ball sailing, and Baldon had only one thought in her mind as she volleyed the perfect pass toward the goal.

Junior Flavia Salima Marcano eyes the goalkeeper before taking a penalty kick early in the first round playoff game. Salima Marcano earned the kick when she was shoved from behind in the box. She scored to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead over Whitehouse on March 26. (Maya Ortiz)

“Don’t miss,” Baldon told herself.

The ball went in, helping lift the girls soccer team to a 3-0 first-round playoff victory over Whitehouse on Tuesday night. Baldon, junior Flavia Salima Marcano and freshman Journie Feliciano each scored, giving the team its first three-goal playoff performance since the 2020-2021 season.

“In the past playoffs, we’ve only really scored one or had to go into penalties,” Baldon said.

The Panthers won the Bi-District Championship for the fifth time since 2018. They now advance to play McKinney North High School at Tyler Legacy High School on Friday night at 7 p.m.

Coach Jess White said Whitehouse provided a good, physical opponent in the first round. Kingwood Park’s defense picked up its fifth consecutive shutout.

“It was a fast, fast paced game,” said coach Jess White, who collected his 300th career coaching victory with the win. “It was definitely a good battle of two contrasting teams in styles and formations.”

The Panthers were the first to score when Salima Marcano’s penalty kick went in. She earned the penalty when she was shoved in the back while making a move in the 18-yard box.

“I was really happy,” Salima Marcano said of scoring. “I wanted to cry and everything, but I didn’t.”

At halftime, the Panthers had a 2-0 lead. Feliciano capped off the scoring in the second half when she scored her first career playoff goal to extend the team’s lead to 3-0.

“When we scored the third goal, I think that was kind of the signal, okay, we’re in complete control whether we score again or not,” White said. “I like the fact that the goals were all three scored by different players in different ways because it shows the versatility of our squad and how valuable each member is.”