R. Kelly Foran for Times Record News
Wichita Falls High’s Margaux Clark battles with a Birdville defender in WFHS’ 2-1 victory. Clark scored the game-winning goal off a corner with 20 minutes left. 
R. Kelly Foran for Times Record News
Margaux Clark and Kaitlin Foran celebrate Clark’s winning goal in the Lady Coyotes Sectional game against Birdville. | . |
March 27, 2010
MINERAL WELLS, Texas — Wichita Falls High School didn’t panic when it fell down by a goal with about 25 minutes to play against Birdville on Friday night.
Instead, the Lady Coyotes responded with Sierra Anderson’s goal 30 seconds later.
A mere five minutes after that, Margaux Clark scored directly off a corner kick, and that proved to be the difference in the Lady Coyotes’ 2-1 victory in the Region I-4A sectional round.
“I’m so proud of the entire team,” WFHS coach Rob Woodard said. “To come back from a goal down, it took a total team effort.”
WFHS (18-2-3) advances to play Midlothian in the I-4A quarterfinals at a day and time to be determined. The Lady Coyotes beat the Lady Panthers earlier this season, 1-0.
Woodard said the wind played a huge factor in the game, which was a physical affair.
“Neither team could get anything going offensively,” the WFHS coach said. “The game was played in the middle of the field. It came down to who could capitalize on set pieces.”
After a scoreless first half, Birdville struck first on a counterattack off a WFHS corner kick. Shelly Holt’s goal gave the Lady Hawks a 1-0 advantage with 25:42 remaining.
But Anderson came through with her sixth goal of the season after Payton Fookes crossed the ball into the box. It went off the Birdville keeper’s hands, and Anderson was there to punch it in.
“The girls aren’t going to stop. We’ve scored (right off a kickoff) a couple times this season,” said Woodard, whose team did exactly that against Denton earlier in the week.
With his team getting the wind in the second half, Woodard told his girls to keep sending balls on target and force Birdville’s goalie to make saves.
That’s exactly what Clark did with about 20 minutes left.
The sophomore took a corner that bent with the wind for her fifth goal of the season. That corner kick was set up by Taylor Holden’s free kick that the goalie knocked out of bounds.
Now the Lady Coyotes are one win away from having home-field advantage at the regional tournament. First, they must beat a Midlothian team that is coming off a 2-0 victory over Mansfield Legacy in sectionals.
