Kickin’ It in Crockett

Bulldogs Set to Embark on UIL-Sanctioned Soccer Season 

By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter

CROCKETT – When one hears the word football in East Texas, thoughts of bone-crunching tackles, immaculate receptions, shoulder pads, Friday night lights and gridiron glory usually come to mind.

There’s a new game in town, however, and it’s slowly taking hold in East Texas. It is the most popular sport around the globe and it is called futbol.

The Palestine Wildcats are a year removed from a state championship in futbol (soccer) and the ‘Cats finished as Class 4A runners-up last year.

In 2014, an article was featured in The Messenger about the inaugural season of club soccer in Crockett. At the time, Coach Ivan Tapia discussed how he hoped the futbol program in Crockett would spark the interest of student / athletes and gain the approval of the University Interscholastic League (UIL)

Nearly four years later, Coach Tapia’s hard work has paid off as the Crockett Bulldogs are preparing to kickoff district play in their first UIL-sanctioned season.

“This is our first year to compete in the UIL. We were able to submit for it late last year and when we came back from the holidays we learned we were petitioned in to District 22-4A,” Tapia said.

With the Bulldogs competing in Class 3A in everything else, the coach was asked about the 4A designation.

“Texas soccer doesn’t have a classification for 3A so we have to compete at a 4A level. That puts us with Palestine who won the state championship two years ago and Kilgore who won the state championship last year,” he explained.

In district play, the Bulldogs will compete against Cleveland, Hearne, Hempstead, Madisonville and Navasota.

Regarding the competition level, Tapia said he believed Hearne was in the same situation as Crockett in that it was their first year to compete under the UIL banner.

“Cleveland is a 5A school now. They’re jumping up to 5A after the district realignments. Madisonville – the coach said they’re looking at an average of around 30 players who come and try out. The Mustangs have enough for a JV and varsity team,” he said.

Closing out the brief overview of the upcoming district foes, Tapia said Navasota had been on the pitch for a while, however, he added he did not have any scouting reports on Hempstead, as of yet.

As to the Bulldogs, Tapia said while the interest in club soccer was growing, this was his first year to have a full roster.

“All my uniforms are complete. Now I may some that are not passing but my uniforms are complete. We have 22 players of which seven are seniors, I have two juniors and a sophomore, but most of the players are freshmen,” he said.

In regard to how he felt the sport of futbol was seemingly able to begin catching on in the heart of football country, Tapia said it was because of a youth movement.

“I think a lot of it has to do with younger kids playing the game at a younger age at a competitive level. It’s kind of like little league baseball,” he said. “You have kids playing all-year round so, it’s catching on. Plus you have the guys at the junior high who are starting to play. It has been a work in progress to get it out in the community.”

This year’s team features a better defensive focus when compared to previous years at the club level.

“We have the speed back there, but that doesn’t take away from the offensive side. I have a sophomore – Joseph Porter – who’s pretty fast. There are not many kids who can keep up with him,” the coach said.

Porter was part of the 2017 Crockett Bulldogs State Championship Track Team.

“As far as in the midfield area, we want to try and control the game and do more of a counter-attack. If they are attacking us, we want to take the ball from them and go ahead and make that goal,” he said.

Tapia explained while the boys now fall under the UIL, the Lady Bulldogs are still playing at the club level.

“We have been at the club level for four years. This year will be the fifth year for the girls. Starting this year, the UIL has recommended the club level will only be for two years. After two years, you have to jump into a UIL sanctioned district. We have two years to build the program up to get to a UIL Class 4A level,” he said.

Tapia said he believed the two year rule would help expedite the process of bringing futbol to the Class 3A, 2A and 1A levels.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].