Bridgeport junior forward Jared Contreras celebrates with fans after scoring a goal in the first half of the 4A Division II state championship against Brookshire Royal. Contreras registered a hat trick in the 5-2 OT win Thursday and was named the state tournament MVP. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
In its return to the state championship after a nine-year absence, Bridgeport ignored the ghosts of the program’s past.
The Bulls (22-3) rallied from an early deficit in the 4A Division II State Championship against Brookshire Royal to take the match to overtime Thursday tied 2-2. After regulation, the Bulls went nuclear.
Jared Contreras scorched the nets two times in the overtime periods, Xxavier Garza added one of his own goals and Bridgeport goalkeeper Habram Medina kept the Falcons away from the net. The result was a wave of dominance in the extra 20 minutes — one that led to a 5-2 win and the program’s first state championship at Birkelbach Field in Georgetown.
Things got off to an ugly start for the Bulls. After a 1 1/2 hour weather delay, Bridgeport seemed uncharacteristically flat and gave up a rare breakaway goal to Royal’s Jerson Perez just seconds into the title match.
David Duran and Garza missed a few opportunities at the net over the next 10 minutes, but Contreras leveled the board in the 19th minute. Duran assisted on a corner kick that Contreras punched in low to the left for a 1-1 tie.
Royal responded by taking back the lead 3 minutes later, and it was Perez again. He slipped past Bridgeport’s back line, left a man in the turf and sent a missile into the net to give the Falcons a 2-1 lead in the 22nd minute, which carried the remainder of the first half.
Six minutes out of the halftime intermission, Garza evened up the score. Duran placed a beautiful pass through the Royal defense, and with Royal goalkeeper racing out of the net for the ball, Garza was able to beat him to it and find the back of the net.
Both teams had ample chances to take control of the match, but both went scoreless through the rest of regulation. Medina registered a clutch save as the clock ran down, staving off Perez’s late attempt at a point blank shot to send the title fight into extra time.
Overtime quickly turned into the Jared Contreras Show.
He caught air and booted in a ball to the middle-left of the net 6 minutes into the first OT period. One minute later he elevated again, this time for a header to collect his hat trick.
Medina and the Bridgeport defenders kept Royal scoreless the remainder of the first OT, and kept the sheet clean in the second OT period.
Garza scored Bridgeport’s final goal with 2:58 to play in overtime, effectively putting the match away.
Contreras was named state tournament MVP with three goals scored on eight total shots (five on goal). Garza punched in two scores with two shots on goal.
Bridgeport tallied assists via Jose Iniguez, Duran (2), Julian Martinez and Ernesto Mejia. After shaking off early goals, Medina was a stonewall in the net for the Bulls and had a trio of saves.
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