High School Soccer

Seven Lakes blows out Dobie, advances to second straight state tournament

By Tyler Tyre, Sports Editor
Posted 4/8/23

“It was an amazing feeling. We came into the game fired up. We’ve been here and done it before and to come in and score, to contribute to the team and get us ahead early was amazing. All of us wanted to win it for our seniors.”

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High School Soccer

Seven Lakes blows out Dobie, advances to second straight state tournament

Posted

Seven Lakes isn’t ready to be done yet.

The Spartans whole year has been about accomplishing a singular goal, and they’re still working towards it.

Other teams are happy with a district title, a regional tournament appearance and a being a regional winner, but for Seven Lakes those are the expectations as they try to meet their main goal that they are hungry for.

That hunger was on display Saturday, as the Spartans turned the Region III 6A Final into a party, beating Pasadena Dobie 6-0 and advancing to the state tournament for the second straight season.

“It was just a showing of how talented this team is,” said junior winger and right back Daniel Ejerenwa. “Every single person on our team payed and got time out there, and we just kept scoring goals. It shows what this program is, how we play for each other and how good we are as a team.”

Ejerenwa, who normally starts at right back, got the start in his natural position of right wing on Saturday and was rewarded when he opened the scoring in the 14th minute to give the Spartans the lead. His goal came off a corner where he headed it in, in the same fashion he did last season in the regional final to open the scoring.

“It was an amazing feeling,” Ejerenwa said. “We came into the game fired up. We’ve been here and done it before and to come in and score, to contribute to the team and get us ahead early was amazing. All of us wanted to win it for our seniors.”

Dobie fought to keep the score line that way going into halftime, but in the second half the Seven Lakes offense exploded.

Hunter Merritt was taken down in the box for a penalty in the 54th minute, and after Aidan Morrison’s initial penalty shot was saved he followed it up on a rebound to double the Spartans lead, four minutes later Kortay Koc added a third when he got past the Dobie defense and put the ball into the back of the net.

Seven Lakes wasn’t done there. Noa Stasic scored a fourth for the Spartans in the 61st minute when he drew a penalty which he then converted himself and two minutes later Diego Flamecno curled a shot past the keeper and into the corner of the net to increase the Spartans lead to five. Then with just a minute left in the game, Sebastian Ranz volleyed in a goal off a cross as the celebrations began early for the Spartans.

“We’ve always been a goal scoring team,” Gabriel Gonzalez said. “It was only a matter of time before we exploded offensively and it happened today. We trust all of the guys up front to go and get goals, they’re all so talented and we know what we can do. Today was just an awesome game.”

The Spartans advance to state for the second straight season with the win, but the job isn’t finished, and the Spartans are looking to win two more.

“Anytime you’ve been there with a group, they’re ready the next year and we have the benefit of having experienced state,” said Seven Lakes head coach Jimmy Krueger. “These guys have been motivated all year and they’re ready. We just want to go there and we want to do Region III proud.”

Katy ISD, Seven Lakes, soccer, sports, Dobie, Regional Tournament