Bridgeport’s Xxavier Garza kicked in a pair of goals to lead Bridgeport (17-3) to a 4-1 4A Division II bi-district win over Canyon Randall Thursday at Burkburnett High School. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
An early goal allowed Bridgeport to control the flow of momentum for the majority of their 4A Division II bi-district battle against Canyon Randall Thursday. However, a late score by the Raiders sent the Bulls — who reached the state semifinals last season — searching for a way out out of the first round.
The Bulls solved their puzzle late thanks to the trio of David Duran, Xxavier Garza and Jared Contreras finding the back of the net for three goals in the final 8:30, powering Bridgeport (17-3) to a 4-1 win at Burkburnett High School.
Bridgeport’s bi-district win served as the first playoff victory for first-year coach Brandon Medrano.
“I’m just happy for these boys,” Medrano said. “I’ve put them through quite a bit, and they’ve stepped up to every challenge I’ve given them in the offseason, [non-district] and district. Everything we’ve been through has really paid off in our last few games… This game was really tough for both teams — we weren’t just playing against each other, but we were also battling the heat. It really came down to who was going to be able to survive.”
The Bridgeport Bulls (17-3) celebrate after clinching a 4A Division II bi-district title with a 4-1 win over Canyon Randall Thursday at Burkburnett High School. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
The Bulls’ offensive attack proved strong early in the match, allowing Garza (33:33) to knock in a strong kick in the first 7 minutes of the game.
“I feel like today’s win really showed us where we were,” Garza said. “We came in today expecting a hard team, and we played our game well. The most important thing for us was setting the standard early, and just keep going.”
Randall attempted to even the score twice in the first half of play, but a big save by Bridgeport goalkeeper Habram Medina and a wide-right kick by the Raiders down the stretch preserved the Bulls’ 1-0 lead at halftime.
After Randall’s Merhawi Tewolde (11:06) tied the score at 1, the Bulls’ offense sparked back to life late. Duran (8:21) and Garza (5:29) quickly netted goals, putting the Bulls up 3-1.
“We had a lot of chances today, and we never gave up,” Duran said. “It wasn’t hard because we knew that if we just kept shooting, then eventually they were going to start falling.”
Bridgeport’s Julian Martinez battles for the ball against Canyon Randall’s Jacob Avalos in the teams’ 4A Division II bi-district battle Thursday at Burkburnett High School. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
Contreras capped off the win by scoring the back-breaker goal with 1:35 left.
“I just had to find that perfect spot,” Contreras said. “David laid the ball out for me, and it just fell in.”
Medrano said he was proud to see Garza lead the team to the win with a 2-goal effort.
“Xxavier’s great, and he’s about to be a legend,” the coach said. “He and David are two of the captains that have led our team both on and off the field this season, and I couldn’t be happier to have those two. I’m grateful to be able to coach them. It’s their senior year, so I really wish I had one more year with them. But we’re going to make this year special for them. I keep telling them to enjoy the ride and be present in the moment because it’s all earned, not given.”
Bridgeport’s Jared Contreras works to keep possession of the ball against Canyon Randall’s Espoir Bizimana in the Bulls’ 4A Division II first-round playoff matchup against the Raiders Thursday at Burkburnett High School. Contreras’ goal with 1:35 left capped off the Bulls 4-1 win. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
Bridgeport will face San Elizario in a 4AII area match 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at Astound Broadband Stadium in Midland.
The Eagles (17-5, 16-2) shared the District 1-4A title with El Paso Bowie and claimed the league’s second seed in the 4AII bracket. San Elizario shut out Lubbock-Cooper Liberty 3-0 in its first-round game Thursday at Pecos High School.
Medrano believes the key to Bridgeport’s success is continuing doing the things that have helped the Bulls succeed all season long.
“We’ve just got to stay true to our game,” he said. “We can’t deviate, panic or get frustrated. If we do those things, then our game plan goes right out the window — we forget how to play and where our passes are supposed to go to. We’ve got to stay focused for the entire 80 minutes, regardless how hot it’s supposed to be. Whether the game’s going our way or not, we have to keep our focus. If we can do that, then the sky’s the limit for us.”
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