KILGORE It would be easy for David Garcia to look around the field and have a flashback.

It wouldn't be one just from this past season, but a memory from eight or more years ago.

"Since our rec teams, U-8, U-10, our team was called 'Little Mexico," Garcia, a four-year starter for the Kilgore Bulldogs, said. "We've got that chemistry with one another, eight years of it.

"It's not just the defense, this team has been together for a while."

Coupled with the long history of playing alongside one another has come a large amount of wins. Today marks the third-straight season that the Bulldogs will compete in the regional tournament.

Kilgore meets Dallas A Plus Academy at 4 p.m. today in a Class 4A, Region II semifinal at Tyler's Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.

"We don't get down on one another and we've got great communication," fellow defender and senior Mateo Meraz said. "Four-straight defenders together on a team that we've been on since we played city league.

"That helps the chemistry."

Kilgore, which enters today with an 18-5-2 record, has a high-flying offense with 14 different goal scorers led by 18 each from sophomore Elian Torres and senior Yonatan Contreras and 14 different players with assists.

That offense is matched by the Bulldog defense with a back line of Garcia, Meraz, Jordi Contreras and Daniel Stifford who, alongside keeper Kaleb Jett have worked 11 shutouts on the season and four total goals through three playoff games.

"We just feed off another's energy," Meraz said. "It's a matter of matching one another and we've done that this season."

Added third-year head coach Austin Walker: "David and Mateo's leadership is excellent. Jordi has stepped into his role well and it's been a smooth transition for him. Daniel Stifford and Jaime Veloz have rounded out that back four, or when we drop five, making them very strong."

Not much is known about the Bulldogs' next opponent Dallas A Plus Academy, which took down Terrell, 1-0, in the regional quarterfinal round. The Knights come in with a 13-3 record and a 63-15 goals for/goals allowed mark.

"We don't know a lot about them," Walker said. "They tend to pack the middle and don't play outside as much, which is good for us because that's where we like to go.

"They're very physical and very high pressure all of the time. They're quick to press and like to get up in people's faces."

Kilgore enters today with momentum on its side having taken down defending state champion Palestine this past Tuesday with a convincing 4-2 win. It avenged a loss to the Wildcats this past season in a shootout in the state semifinals.

"I feel like we've been pretty focused for a few weeks now," Garcia said. "Palestine, they were a rival and we knew what we had to do.

"We beat them and now it's time to keep going."

Tuesday may as well be as far away as the state semifinal game a year ago.

"It really gave us a boost of confidence," Meraz added. "We've got a lot of momentum behind us with some great practices. It's going to to take us forward."

The goal, however, lies ahead of this coming weekend.

"We want to get back to where we've been," Walker said. "To do that, we've got to play this game right now.

"We can't let that Palestine win be a high point for us. Yes, it's exciting. Yes, we beat the team that knocked us out. There's more to be played and the job is not over yet."

CLASS 4A, REGION II TOURNAMENT

Christus Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium, Tyler

SEMIFINALS, TODAY

BOYS

Dallas A Plus Academy (13-3) vs. Kilgore (18-5-2), 4 p.m.

Irving Ranchview (19-1-1) vs. Chapel Hill (16-7-1), 6:30 p.m.

FINAL, SATURDAY

Semifinal winners, 1:30 p.m.

GIRLS

SEMIFINALS, TODAY

Mabank (19-5) vs. Athens (14-10-1), 11 a.m.

Terrell (23-5) vs. Palestine (16-7-5), 1:30 p.m.

FINAL, SATURDAY

Semifinal winners, 11 a.m.

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Team chemistry key to Kilgore's soccer success - Longview News-Journal