Lady Leps’ Historic Soccer Season Ends in the Area Round of Playoffs

The third round of the playoffs remains elusive for the La Grange girls soccer team.

For the second time in program history, the Lady Leps marched to the second round of the 4A playoffs, but their stellar season was ended Tuesday in Rockdale with a 3-1 loss to Salado.

The La Grange girls end their season with a 14-6-2 record, which is a school record for wins.

“It’s been a really good season even though it wasn’t the outcome we wanted,” said La Grange’s Jolie Gutierrez, one of eight seniors on this year’s team.

“Salado took advantage of the opportunities we gave them, and when we had opportunities we weren’t able to capitalize,” said La Grange head coach Chris Westall. “The effort was there. I’m proud of this group. We really wanted to get to that next step. It’s a bitter taste right now, but we’ll be back next year.”

Things didn’t get off to the best of starts Tuesday for the Lady Leps as Salado took a 1-0 lead just four minutes into the game.

Salado added another goal in the 32nd minute, but La Grange seemed poised to grab the momentum back just four minutes before halftime when Lady Lep senior goalie Harper Westall made a diving stop of a Salado free kick.

“The save Harper made right before halftime, I told the girls at the time that play might have saved our season,” Chris Westall said.

For a while it seemed like just the spark La Grange needed.

Seven minutes into the second half La Grange broke through with a goal from junior Megan Davis off an assist from Kaelyn Ortiz to trim the Salado lead to 2-1.

But the Lady Leps could never knock in a tying goal, and in the 59th minute Salado scored to take a 3-1 lead off a corner kick, and that’s the way the score stayed.

Harper Westall was the defensive player of the game.

“I loved playing with everyone on this team and I’m really going to miss it,” said Shelby Hofferek, who graduates as the all-time leading goal scorer in program history. “Salado’s passes were good, they just knew where to put it.”

Salado (18-6-3) advances on to play Lorena in the next round.

La Grange, meanwhile, looks to the future.

“We’re losing some great seniors, but we still have a decent core,” Westall said. “I think the program is ready to take the next step. I need to continue to improve as a coach, along with my players, to get the program to that next level.”