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The Wildcats soccer team is headed to the postseason for the first time in more than a decade.
Elgin’s varsity boys roster finished fourth in the district with a 4-5-3 record. The last time the Wildcats reached the playoffs was in 2014.
Head coach Eddie Lerma credited a lot of the team’s success to their grit.
“They have been resilient this year,” Lerma said. “It’s always a tough matchup every Tuesday and Friday in that district. We really had to encourage the team to find it in themselves to keep fighting, and it really took a couple of those games to make the guys believe they could do more than usual.”
The Wildcats faced a challenging start to district play, opening with a 1-4 record before tying their next three matches as their playoff hopes began to look bleak.
Facing an uphill battle, Lerma’s team found its rhythm late in the season, picking up key wins against Weiss, Georgetown and Pflugerville Connally to secure the top-four finish.
Lerma said he believes the rough early district stretch helped the Wildcats grow. Tough matchups better prepared Elgin for hard-fought wins down the stretch.
One of the biggest moments of the season came in a 2-1 Senior Night victory over Pflugerville Connally, who went on to finish first in the district.
“We went in there confident that we could get a good result, but we were surprised to be in the game as much as we were,” Lerma said. “That win was the perfect way to build momentum, make the guys believe and finish off our last home game with a win over the best team in district.”
After that match, Elgin either needed a win over East View or for Weiss to defeat Pflugerville in order to clinch a playoff spot. The Wildcats fell to the Patriots 3-2, but Weiss found a 1-0 win, securing Elgin’s postseason berth.
Lerma described the team’s reaction on the bus ride home as a “party” when they heard their season would continue.
According to the coach, one of the keys to the team’s success this season has been a veteran-led roster featuring eight seniors, along with junior Diego Ramirez, who leads the team with 15 goals.
After a bye week, the Wildcats will travel to face Rouse in a playoff warmup game Friday, March 13, at 6 p.m.
Rouse finished first in their district.
“We will play the first team in the Austin ISD district, so we are looking to see how we stack up against competition that mirrors that intensity,” Lerma said.
Elgin will either face Anderson or Liberal Arts and Science Academy with a time and date to be determined.
