Jags Take State
April 21, 2016
Jags Take State
Flower Mound High School Girls Soccer Team Claims 6A Championship
On April 16, the Flower Mound High School (FMHS) Lady Jaguars soccer team claimed the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 6A state championship -- a first for the program, as well as first-year head coach Misail Tsapos. FMHS topped Highland Park 2-1 (5-3 in penalty kicks) at Birkelbach Field in Georgetown.
Going into the playoffs, FMHS was ranked fourth in District 6-6A, but ultimately finished its season on top with a record of 17-3-6 and a state title trophy. It’s a season that has yet to sink in for some.
“I feel like I am still dreaming,” Tsapos said. “A coach would never expect something like this, especially in their first year with a program.”
Tsapos joined the Jaguar family before the start of the 2015-2016 school year and prior to his arrival, he had amassed 102 wins and a state final appearance.
“It is surreal,” senior Megan Heckendorn said. “A lot of teams we beat think we are just lucky.”
Fellow teammate Christan Perkins added: “But you can’t be lucky seven times in a row.”
For others, it is a good feeling to prove how hard work does pay off.
“No one thought we would get this far because we didn’t even make the playoffs last year,” senior Ashlan Hustava said. “It’s kind of crazy, but we’ve worked so hard for this.”
What was their driving force?
“We’ve worked really hard to get to a goal,” Tsapos said. “That was to make the playoffs and then it’s just one game at a time. Once we won a couple games, we thought, ‘Why not us?’ What makes us less than our opponent? Then we just didn’t stop.”
Going all the way to state was not taken for granted.
“We’ve had a couple players with injuries this season and you never know when your last game will be,” senior Caitlyn Aaron said. “That gave us motivation to want to play our best every single game, because it might be our last.”
The elite program has paved the way for three of its seniors to continue at the collegiate level: Caitlyn Aaron is headed to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University; Danielle Cooper will play at the University of Sioux Falls; and Ashlan Hustava has signed with the University of Tulsa.
Advice for those who are interested in becoming a student athlete or playing soccer for the Lady Jags one day?
“It is hard, but it is definitely worth it,” Heckendorn said. “If you are competitive person, I say do it. I wouldn’t change playing soccer ever.”
Hustava added: “The friendships you make last forever. I’ve known and been playing against some of my teammates since we were six years old.”
To see more photos of the Lady Jags’ journey to state, check out their official Twitter feed (@FMLadyJagsSoccer) here and/or their website here.