Lake Highlands soccer hasn’t advanced past the area round of the playoffs since the 2022-23 season. With the Wildcats’ 2-1 victory over Coppell on Tuesday, that changes.
Lake Highlands soccer comes together during a 2-1 win over Coppell in the area round of the playoffs on March 24, 2026. Photo by Jose Negrete.
After Lake Highlands (15-3-6) gave up an early goal, Luca Beirute knotted the game at 1-1 after scoring on a first-half free kick to tie the game going into the second half.
With just 14:35 remaining in the contest, Ivan Martinez streaked down the left side of the field with Asumani “Prince” Salumu to his right. Martinez crossed the ball over to his teammate and, from 10 yards out, Salumu delivered what would be the winning goal before his team mobbed him in celebration.
The Wildcats held on for the win, advancing to the regional semifinals for a date with Odessa (12-8-3) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Wylie High School in Abilene.
Coming off a 3-1 overtime win against Byron Nelson, the Bronchos advanced to the regional semifinals for the first time since the 2007-08 season. At the end of the first half, however, Odessa faced a 1-0 hole.
Juan David Nieto had something to say about it though, scoring the tying goal in the second half to force extra time. Once there, the Bronchos got a pair of scores from Sergio Bustillo and Ruben Tavarez to come out on top.
Odessa’s magical run will have to go through Lake Highlands, which, according to MaxPreps’ state rankings, is 23rd in Texas. The Bronchos, ranked 140th in the state, will be fighting an uphill battle versus the Wildcats, but upsets are not uncommon in the playoffs.
On Tuesday, top-ranked Austin Westlake was shocked by San Antonio Brandeis, losing 3-2. Brandeis is ranked just 106th, setting a precedent for potential surprises.
If Lake Highlands can come away victorious, the Wildcats will face the winner of Allen (21-4-1) versus Keller (16-3-6) in the regional finals.
The Eagles, ranked ninth in the state by MaxPreps and third in the area by SportsDay, are on the heels of a thrilling win against Arlington Sam Houston. Tied with under a minute left in the match, Mason Leslie scored a late goal to send Allen to the next round.
Keller is also one of the most highly regarded teams in the state, earning MaxPreps’ 14th rank and receiving consideration for SportsDay’s area rankings. The school is coming off a dominant 4-0 thrashing of El Paso Pebble Hills.
All in all, Lake Highlands and Odessa will be in for a good game and the winner will be in for a tough matchup come March 30-31, when regional finals games are to be played.
