Youth Soccer

The Dallas Texans used a pair of dramatic finishes for a title sweep of the under-18 boys and girls divisions at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship on Sunday in Des Moines, Iowa.

The Texans 88 Boys Red survived 30 minutes of extra time and a shootout to defeat Chicago Magic, 1-0, with team captain David Murphy scoring the clincher.

For Murphy it is the second straight national title. The Texans won the U17 division last year.

In the U18 girls final, the Texans 88 Red North rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the final 15 minutes for a 3-1 victory over New Jersey's PDA Wildcats.

The Texans' Whitney Palmer, winner of the division's Golden Boot award, scored two goals and assisted on another.

Another Texans' team, the 92 Red boys, advanced to U14 championship, but lost, 3-2, to California's Valley United Blast. Six Texans teams competed at nationals.

"It is a great day for our club," said girls coach Hassan Nazari.

The eight late goals scored by his team are a credit to conditioning, Nazari said.

"Once we fall behind, we work harder," said Palmer, a Plano East graduate bound for Oklahoma. The Texans trailed 1-0 for much of the match. After Palmer tied it, Leslie Briggs scored the go-ahead goal. Palmer's final goal came in the 90th minute.

The Texans' Colleen Pitts, received an award for top keeper.

In the boys win, the Texans scored on all five shootout attempts for a 5-3 advantage. Max Sullivan blocked the shot of the second shooter. Murphy made it stand.

"I was fortunate to be last," said Murphy, a product of Southlake Carroll bound for Wake Forest.

Texans boys coach David Hudgell pointed out while Murphy was the hero, without a goal by Stephen McCarthy in the final minute of a preliminary match, the Texans would not have made the finals.

In preliminary U18 matches, the Texans girls lost to the Wildcats, 1-0, and the boys were defeated by Magic, 3-1.

A fourth area finalist, Solar 89, lost in the boys U17 championship match to California's Arsenal FC, 3-1.

E-mail rjennings@dallasnews.com