WICHITA FALLS -- For a moment, as Chad Hedlund lined up for a game-deciding penalty kick with just over two minutes to go in Friday's Class 4A Region I semifinal, it looked like the magic that had carried Argyle through its historic season was back.
A perfect 5-for-5 on penalty kicks this year, Hedlund had been nothing short of flawless. As one of the top-rated kickers in the state during football season, he had been nothing short of clutch.
The result? Nothing short of heartbreak.
Hedlund's late penalty kick was stopped on a diving save by El Paso Riverside goalkeeper Julio Jaramillo and his team's last-gasp efforts fell short as the Eagles, without injured midfielder Mats Wolthuis, saw their miraculous season come to a close in 1-0 loss at Memorial Stadium.
"We had trouble with [penalty kicks] early on," Argyle head coach Marc Koke said. "We missed some easy ones, but not in games that mattered. Chad came on later in the season and, on his career, he was perfect. I felt confident. The goalkeeper just made a great save."That miss signaled the end of a season for Argyle (25-2-1) that far surpassed even the most optimistic expectations. In just their third varsity season, the Eagles exploded to a school-record 25 wins with the help of an experienced roster bolstered by the addition of star freshmen Ian Sadler and Cole Hedlund along with Wolthuis, an exchange student from the Netherlands.
Wolthuis, the District 11-4A offensive player of the year, had been Argyle's steadying hand in the midfield all season long but was forced to sit out Friday's game after suffering a concussion during the team's 4-1 win over Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis on Tuesday. He wasn't cleared to play against Riverside, but would have been back in action today if the Eagles would have won.
"He was the offensive MVP of our district and, obviously, of our team too," Koke said. "Things go through him. He controls the flow of the game. He can do it all. He can dribble, he can finish, he can shoot -- he's a huge part of what we do. He can't be replaced. There isn't anyone who can do all that he does."
Instead, Riverside (17-7-1) exploited Wolthuis' absence and opened the game by dictating the tempo and pressuring Argyle and goalkeeper Jay Darby.
Darby, who helped boost Argyle to a comeback win on Tuesday, had another stellar game. He made five saves in the game's first seven minutes and kept an aggressive Riverside squad from converting on a number of dangerous opportunities until the late in the half.
Riverside took the lead at the 14:03 mark in the first half on a strike from Luis Sanchez that sailed just past the outstretched hands of the diving Darby.
Argyle had a few chances to get back in the game. In the second half, Sadler took a pass from the midfield and worked the ball nearly 30 yards downfield before finding Chis Alexander on a cross. Alexander's shot sailed just over the top with Jaramillo still out of position after the pass.
Without Wolthuis, Argyle struggled to create opportunities on the offensive end, as Darby and Argyle's defense kept Riverside at bay.
Finally, the Eagles broke through late in the game as Sadler was tackled in the box by a Riverside defender with 2:09 remaining. That cleared the way for Hedlund's penalty kick -- a rolling shot that was trapped by Jaramillo on the ground.
From there, the Eagles' final desperation shots fell short as Riverside held on for the win and a trip to the Region I finals today.
Argyle, meanwhile, is left mourning the end of its deepest ever playoff run and its sudden turnaround from doormat to powerhouse. That didn't make the loss any easier to swallow for Koke, though, who summed up his feelings rather concisely after the game.
"I just feel like our season ended too soon," he said.
MARSHALL MOORE can be reached at 940-566-6869. His e-mail address is mmoore@dentonrc.com.
